KAPUNI GAS REPORT

Press, Volume CIII, Issue 30479, 29 June 1964, Page 9

KAPUNI GAS REPORT

Adviser Back In N.Z. (Parliamentary Reporter) WELLINGTON, June 26. The Power Planning Committee will meet on Thursday to prepare its annual report, which is likely to call for a significantly faster construction programme.

Present prospects are, however, that it will be unable to make any meaningful recommendation on generation from Kapuni natural gas. ■Mr J. G. Shattuck, the Washington adviser to the Government on the use of the gas, returned to New Zealand today. He will spend about three weeks in the Dominion and is expected to deliver his report —based on studies begun earlier this year—to the Minister of Electricity (Mr Shand) later this week. It is a report to the Government, and although it is expected to be published after preliminary study by Mr Shand, it will not be available directly to the Power Planning Committee, at least until well after it has convened. Mr Shattuck is expected to support power generation from the gas, rather than its distribution for industrial and domestic use. The committee last year recommended that, subject to satisfactory negotiations for gas supply, a 120 k.w. gas turbine power station be built to begin delivering power in April,’ 1968.