Work Again On Maraetai II

Press, Volume CIV, Issue 30899, 4 November 1965, Page 3

Work Again On Maraetai II

(N.Z. Press Association) WELLINGTON. Nov. 3.

The Government has decided to recommence work on the Maraetai , II peak load station. Construction will comI mence late next year J and be completed by April, 197(1. The Minister of Electricity (Mr Shand) said today that the completion of Maraetai II was related to the Tongariro project. The completed station will cost £8,731,000 and provide 180 megawatts of peak power. Mr Shand said if work had not been stopped by the Government on Maraetai in 1961 the cost would have been about £500,000 less—but “this lesser cost is more than offset by the savings in annual fixed charges on money not yet spent on Maraetai 11, even after escalation of costs is taken into account.”

Mr Shand said the Tongariro project provided for the diversion of water from the Wan-

ganui and Moawhango rivers into Lake Roto-aira and then through the Tokaanu power station into Lake Taupo. When this diverted water passed down the Waikato through the existing power stations. 670 million kilowatt hours of additional energy would be generated with no

increase in peak power output. In effect, the diverted water increased the load factor of these stations. As the system’s output had to be matched to the demand in respect of both peak power and total energy, this generation of additional energy in the existing Waikato stations

- had to be thatched with 145 I megawatts of peak power ■ from another station. The completion of Maraetai I II with five 35 megawatt gene--1 rators to coincide with diver- • sion of water from the Wan- ■ ganui and Moawhango rivers i would provide this quantity > of peak power, said Mr Shand.