The Hong Kong and China Gas Company Limited

In February 1862, the concession to supply gas to the city of Victoria (the centre of which now referred to as Central), was obtained from then governor Sir Hercules Robinson by William Glen, a newcomer to the gas industry. Incorporation took place on 3 June 1862 and, by 3 December 1864 that year, there were 15 miles (24 km) of pipes and 500 gas lamps along Queen's Road and Upper Valley Road. Across the harbour, residents in Kowloon continued to rely on candles and oil lamps until gas was laid on 28 years later. The company's original generating plant, the first in Asia, stood on the waterfront at West Point near Whitty Street and provided gas for lighting to government offices and army barracks as well as Jardine's offices, the Hong Kong Dispensary and the Hong Kong Hotel. The plant was coal fired and produced 120,000 cubic feet (3,400 m3) of gas per day. It was run directly from Britain until 1954 when a majority shareholding was purchased by local firm Wheelock and Marden Company Limited who moved the company's registered domicile from the UK to Hong Kong.

As of 2024, the four gas lamps installed by the company are situated at the top and bottom of a flight of broad granite steps linking Ice House Street and Duddell Street. These are still maintained by Towngas, while the site is one of the Declared monuments of Hong Kong.

Gas production and network

The company imports natural gas from Australia by sea and stores it at the Dapeng liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminal in Shenzhen under a 25-year contract. A 34-kilometre (21 mi) submarine pipeline connects the Dapeng terminal to Towngas' Tai Po plant.

The Tai Po plant produces 97% of its town gas output while the remaining 3% is produced at the Ma Tau Kok plant. The two plants cover 1.8 million households via a network of more than 3,500 kilometres (2,200 mi) of pipelines throughout Hong Kong.

Treated gas from landfill sites is also utilised as fuel to reduce emission of greenhouse gases. In Hong Kong, town gas is produced from naphtha and natural gas. Its major components are hydrogen (49%), methane (28.5%), carbon dioxide (19.5%) and a small amount of carbon monoxide (3%).

It supplies towngas to 85% Hong Kong households, and also to commercial and industrial customers. The group has over 500 projects in mainland China including city-gas, water supply, waste treatment, emerging environmentally-friendly energy and telecommunications.

Accidents

On 14 May 1934, a huge explosion of a gasometer at the company's West Point plant killed 42, injured many more and gutted five buildings.

On 11 April 2006, an explosion caused by leaking towngas in Ngau Tau Kok killed two people and injured nine more.