NO WAIRAKEI POWER

Press, Volume XCVIII, Issue 28795, 16 January 1959, Page 14

NO WAIRAKEI POWER

Machinery Being Adjusted

(New Zeatana Press Association) ROTORUA, January 14.

The Wairakei geothermal station is not generating electric power for the national grid, and it is expected that the shutdown, enforced last Friday to permit adjustment and checking of machinery, will continue for this week at least. It has been emphasised that the withdrawal of Wairakei power is not the result of any failure in the geothermal aspect of the scheme, rather has it been forced on the authorities by defects in equipment supplied by overseas companies. The Commissioner of Works, (Mr F. M. Hansen) said today that there was no real urgency in bringing Wairakei back to full production, as the lake levels were such to guarantee adequate electric power at present.

Mr Hansen added that he was gleaning full information on the “teething troubles” being experienced at the only geothermal power station in the British Empire, and he would make a statement within the next few days. It is stated that although the turbine previously z in operation was producing four megawatts of power before the present shutdown, and the expected production was between four and five megawatts, the actual working of the turbine and allied equipment has not lived up to expectations.

Minor troubles have been encountered at the source of the supply, the well heads, and some difficulty has been experienced in harnessing the last of the six bores earmarked for connexion to the now idle turbine.