HEAVY WATER PROJECT

Press, Volume XCIII, Issue 27874, 24 January 1956, Page 3

HEAVY WATER PROJECT

Britain Abandons Scheme MORE POWER FOR NORTH ISLAND “The Press” Special Service WELLINGTON, January 23. Heavy water will not be manufactured at Wairakei. The British Government told New Zealand late last week that after reconsideration the project will not go ahead. This decision, likely to be officially announced this week, will mean an extra 20,000 kw to 25,000 kw of urgently needed electric power for the North Island. Late last month it was announced that Britain was reconsidering the project on the score of cost. The scheme it was discovered, would cost £4,000,000 instead of £2,000,000. Since then New Zealand experts waiting to push ahead with the development of geothermal power have been anxiously awaiting Britain’s final answer. Now that it has come they will be able to modify plans and

specifications and go ahead rapidly in the letting of contracts. Because of Britain’s decision to abandon the heavy water scheme there may be about*two months’ delay in the letting.of the contracts. But it is possible tKat this lost time will be made Up in construction and that the first power—2o,oookw—will come from Wairakei by the scheduled date of June, 1958. The cost of this project is estimated at £4,000,000 or £5,000,000. The initial output of the plant will be up to 65,000 kw, although a duplicate plant of another 40,000 kw is planned for a few years later. Some authorities in Wellington regret the British decision to abandon the heavy water scheme. They say it ; would have done New Zealand a : “considerable amount of good to be in the atomic energy picture.” Atomic power could be here within 15 years and the heavy water would have been readily available for an atomic pile. They say that New Zealand must have something on which to train scientists, and, although it may be possible to associate with Australia, the full equipment in New Zealand would have been most useful. Some time ago the Deputy-Prime Minister of Canada (Mr C. P. Howe), when visiting New Zealand, invited the Government to send scientists to train at the atomic energy stations in Canada. This invitation has not yet been accepted, but it is stated that it

is regarded as a general one and will be taken when the time arises. In the past, New Zealand has sent scientists to train at Britain’s atomic energy centre at Harwell. Others will also be sent there when the opportunity arises.