MR CHAN KIN-POR (in Cantonese): President, I wish to ask the HKSAR Government about the contingency measures in response to super typhoons. According to the Hong Kong Observatory, it was not during a spring tide when Mangkhut hit Hong Kong; otherwise, the significant rise in sea level would bring even greater damage. In case of a super typhoon’s landfall during a spring tide, has the Government assessed the possibility of tremendous disasters thus caused and what contingency measures it has in place when such a case does occur?
SECRETARY FOR SECURITY (in Cantonese): President, I thank Mr CHAN for his supplementary question. The people are concerned about the storm surge caused by a super storm and whether the HKSAR will face even higher risks as a result. I understand the public’s concern and I also see why Mr CHAN raised such a supplementary question. In this respect, let me tell everyone that the site selection, design and construction of a nuclear power station must meet international standards, including those of the International Atomic Energy Agency (“IAEA”). Therefore, one of the essential structures to a nuclear power station is a breakwater that protects it against possible incidents.
The height of the breakwater in Yangjiang is 10 m to 13.5 m and the breakwater of DBNPS that I have mentioned in the main reply is about 14 m high. According to the IAEA requirement, when deciding on the site of a nuclear power station, essential factors that have to be considered include meteorological records and the maximum heights of storm surges caused by storms in the past. All these require thorough scientific analyses.
According to available information, some huge storms had caused storm surges in the past. For example, storm surge of Hurricane Katrina in 2005 was about 8 m in height, Typhoon Haiyan 7 m, Typhoon Wanda 6 m, and those in Yangjiang are about 3.25 m. As I have reported to the Legislative Council just now, the breakwater of Daya Bay is 14 m in height, and Yangjiang is 10 m to 13.5 m. The heights are determined according to the statistics obtained concerning meteorological events and the change of sea levels over the years. It is obvious that the breakwaters have been able to provide full protection against the waves caused by storm surges as far as the past records go.
President, I would like to add that, aside from a breakwater, a more important factor that ensures the safety of a nuclear power station is the height of the location of the nuclear-generating unit. In the Fukushima Nuclear Plant, because the nuclear-generating unit was not located in a place high enough, many facilities were flooded by seawater and that led to the nuclear incident. But as I have said, DBNPS is at least 6.5 m above sea level and the Yangjiang Nuclear Power Station is built beside a hill and its nuclear-generating unit is located at a place higher than the foot of the hill, which is at least 20 m above sea level.
When our State approves the construction of a nuclear power station, the requirements for the site and hardware are very stringent and the standards of these nuclear power stations totally conform with the IAEA standards.