In 2015, local sole power distributor Companhia de Electricidade de Macau CEM, S.A. (CEM) generated a net profit of MOP662 million (US$82.88), up 8.8 per cent from 2014. The 2015 annual report was approved yesterday at the Annual General Meeting according to a statement issued by the company. CEM says that in 2015 power consumption increased by 6.2 per cent to hit another record high of 4,966 GWh, while peak demand also climbed by 4.4 per cent to 883 MW. According to the company, fuel prices plunged at the end of 2015, rendering the power generating cost of Coloane A Power Station more competitive than that of imported power from the Mainland. In 2015, Macau’s locally generated power significantly increased to 753GWh, up 73 per cent from 2014, accounting for 15.2 per cent of gross power consumption. Meanwhile, some 4,054 GWh of electricity was imported from the Mainland to Macau in 2015, down 1.1 per cent from that of 2014 and the first ever negative growth. Yet, it still contributed to 81.6 per cent of Macau’s electricity consumption. Developing infrastructure In 2015, CEM invested over MOP958 million to further improve and develop the infrastructure. The investment amount was 45 per cent higher than annual income. Of this investment package, almost 78 per cent was invested in the development and maintenance of the transmission and distribution network, while generation projects accounted for about 13 per cent. Multiple new substations were set up and put into operation last year, including the Depot Primary Substation in Cotai built for the LRT System, Ilha Verde Primary Substation, Wynn Macau and The Parisian Switching Substations. In addition, CEM says that a number of transmission and distribution infrastructure projects will start in succession in 2016, including the new Dispatch Centre Building project and three new high-voltage substations with a total investment of approximately MOP500 million at Hospital das Ilhas, Hospital Conde S. Januário, and the artificial island of the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge. Moreover, the power distributor vows to hold the tariff stable. CEM offers Tariff Clause Adjustment discounts of up to 12 per cent to 18 per cent for all Tariff Group A customers. The total subsidy has reached MOP155 million. Tariff Group A customers are mainly residential customers as well as small and medium enterprises, accounting for 99 per cent of total customers.
—
