POWER FROM WAIRAKEI

Press, Volume XCIV, Issue 28158, 22 December 1956, Page 10

POWER FROM WAIRAKEI

Bigger Output Suggested LONDON REPORT ON POTENTIAL (From Our Own Reporter) WELLINGTON. December 21. The output of electricity from geothermal steam at Wairakei is likely to be trebled as the result of a report by the Government’s London consultants. Merz and McLellan, to the Ministry of Works. At present, the planned output of the first Wairakei station, scheduled to be completed late in 1958. is 69.000 kilowatts: but an extension to permit an output of nearly 100.000 kilowatts is expected. In addition, it is expected that an entirely new station with an output of 150,000 to 180.000 kilowatts will be built. If the advice of the consultants is followed. New Zealand will have much cheaper electricity within the next few years. But the authorities all agree that this development at Wairakei is not likely to affect supplies of South Island power. “We still need that Cook Strait cable," said one authority today. “If it is feasible to connect the islands with a power cable—and a favourable report on this seems very likely—Benmore’s cutout will be invaluable in the network.”

Works Ministry experts say that the importance of the Wairakei development cannot fairly be measured in kilowatts. A geothermal steam station will run at almost full capacity from its completion. Hydro-electric stations normally function initially at about 30 per cent, of capacity. “Very Satisfactory Report”

The Minister of Works (Mr W. S. Goosman) said tonight that the geothermal report was “very optimistic and very satisfactory.” It had recommended considerable extensions, and he had no doubts at all about the future of Wairakei.

The report reached Wellington only this week. It has been very briefly considered by Works Ministry engineers.

Mr Goosman said it was now the task of the Ministry of Works and the State Hydro-electric Department ta examine the recommendations and prepare a report to the Government. Works Ministry engineers have been examining the possibility of increasing the output of Wairakei by up to 200.000 kilowatts in the next three or four years. The latest report from the London consultants is believed to advise them to proceed with these extensions without waiting for the first station to prove itself. Addressing the annual conference of power supply authorities in Auckland in September. Mr Goosman said the total power potential from bores already sunk at Wairakei was 150,000 kilowatts. But tonight he indicated that the extensions suggested in the report by Merz and McLellan were even bigger than this total. Construction Time

In September. Mr Goosman said it would take three years and a half or four years to design and build a station of 150.000 to 200.000 kilowatts in additon to the one now planned. “It seems that we would be justified in starting to design and build such a station now.” said the Minister.

It is believed that, since Mr Goosman made that speech W r orks Ministry engineers have begun preparing an initial report on such an extension. Speaking in Dunedin several weeks ago, the chief engineer of the Ministry of Works (Mr C. W. O. Turner) said that, a little more than a year and a half ago. the experts had been thinking in terms of an output at Waiakei of 200.000 kilowatts. Now they were thinking of additional plant producing 10 times that output. It might well be. said Mr Turner, that stations at Wairakei could eventually produce 1.000,000 kilowatts.