POWER SUPPLY

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 58, Issue 237, 19 July 1938, Page 2

POWER SUPPLY

POLICY OF EXPANSION.

INCREASE IN THE DEMAND.

(Per Press- Association.) WELLINGTON, July 18. Tho increasing demand for electric power throughout New Zealand was referred to this evening by the Minister of Public Works (the Hon. R. Semple). To cope with requirements, said tho -Minister, the Government was actively pursuing a policy, of expansion of . generating stations and transmission equipment in both the North and South Island stations. Two new units were recently ordered for extending the capacity of the Waitaki power station. The need for this extension had been accelerated by the decision of the Government to run a main transmission line system over the Southern Alps into Westland, where large blocks of power would be taken by several gold dredging companies. Power would also be made available in districts where previously the supply of electricity had been comparatively limited. The shortage of power in Southland was mentioned by Mr Semple. The local generating station at Monowai, he said, was inadequate for the requirements of the district, and in consequence a main ti'ansmission line was being run from Dunedin to Gore to connect Southland with the main South Island network, “All this work on completion in the near future,” said Mr Scrapie, “will create such a demand on the system as to render imperative an early extension of generating stations, but the two new units at Waitaki will materially assist in relieving the shortage. Each of these new units comprises a 23,000-h.p. vertical type water turbine coupled to a 15,000 kilowatt electric generator, and on completion will bring the capacity of this station up to 60,000 kilowatts.” Dealing with extensions in the North Island, Mr Semple said that two new units each of 21,000 kilowatts were recently installed at Arapuni. A further unit of 20,000 kilowatts had keen ordered and delivered for installation at Waikaremoana, and this would be erected during the. coming year. Authority had also been given to proceed with the development of Lower Waikaremoana, a scheme reutilising water passed out _ from the existing station. When completed, this station would add a further 40,000 kilowatts approximately to the installed generator capacity of the Government’s hydro-electric plants.