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GEOTHERMAL POWER PLANT NEARLY READY

“The Press" Special Service

ROTORUA, June 7. The Government’s first geothermal power station is almost ready at Wairakei. Work Is being pushed ahead on the tall wooden building housing the plant while engineers overhaul the plant itself. The plant will be on a pioneer area at Wairakei where engineers, geophysicists and -geologists conducted early tests into the possibilities of geothermal power. Three powerful bores thunder into the air there, shaking the ground with their force. From these bores 'engineers have learned a lot about controlling the

underground energy in the district. I And from the pilot plant now being erected they will learn more about ’ the difficulties of operating a full-size 1 geothermal station. J The plant will have an output of J about 200 kilowatts—enough to drive the Ministry of Works installations at ' Wairakei. Originally it was used to • provide power for the Christchurch I trams an orthodox turbine station. Meantime, work is being pushed fori ward on the construction drilling for ' the initial 40,000 kilowatt power station a short distance away. It is there I that the heavy water extraction plant J will also be built.

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Permanent link to this item

https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/CHP19550608.2.196

Bibliographic details

Press, Volume XCI, Issue 27679, 8 June 1955, Page 18

Word Count
193

GEOTHERMAL POWER PLANT NEARLY READY Press, Volume XCI, Issue 27679, 8 June 1955, Page 18

GEOTHERMAL POWER PLANT NEARLY READY Press, Volume XCI, Issue 27679, 8 June 1955, Page 18