Emphasis On Hydro Power

Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31161, 10 September 1966, Page 20

Emphasis On Hydro Power

(From Our Own Reporter) WELLINGTON, September 9. “Even when New Zealand has a large nuclear-power station, you will still need all your easily-available hydro-electric works. You may even Jtave to develop some of the more difficult hydro sites for peak-load generation,” the leader of the Canadian power - generationequipment mission (Mr I. F. Mcßae) told the Minister of Electricity (Mr Shand). Besides members of the Canadian mission were the

High Commissioner for Canada (Mr K. J. Burbidge), the New Zealand trade commissioner for Canada (Mr R. H. Gayner), the acting-general manager of the Electricity Department (Mr G. T. Wilson), the department’s chief engineer (Mr P. W. Blakeley), and its director of administration (Mr E. G. Davies) were also present at the discussions.

The mission represented nuclear, hydro and conventional thermal means of electrcity generation. Mr Mcßae said that he hoped for a continuation of past good will, and added: “When the time comes for you to be in the picture for nuclear power we can assure you of great benefits from the Canadian side for power generation.” Mr Wilson said that between 1951 and 1966 the Electricity’ Department had in-

stalled 2,140.000 horse-power of hydro-electric turbine plant, of which 1,500.000 had come from Canada, and in the same period 1,527.000 kilowatts of generating plant, of which 810,000 kilowatts had come from Canada.

Of plant now on order, 14 turbine units totalling 1,242,000 horse-power would come from Canada, but of the 14 generating units, none were Canadian. Mr Shand said that trade was a two-way street New Zealand wanted to sell to Canada as much as Canada wanted to sell to New Zealand.

“Though you are not on a ‘hard-sell’ mission, we are doing some ‘hard-sell’ in your country,” he said. “This is for New Zealand lamb in particular. We need to sell something to raise the money to buy your equipment. “Perhaps we can help each other. It would be a great help if we received some encouragement on the basis of reciprocal trade. Public opinion is a governing factor, and you people have an interest in developing in Canada the sort of climate of public opinion that would help us.” Mr Mcßae said the power situation in Canada had a peculiar affinity with the situation in New Zealand. “When the time comes for you to consider nuclear power as an addition to your system—and only when on an economic basis it can withstand critical examination — then we can help,” he said. Mr Shand: We feel that the time is not so very far off, and that we will be developing nuclear power in parallel with our hydro resources during the early 1970’5. A commemorative folder was presented to Mr Shand by Mr A. Wyatt, of Atomic Energy of Canada, Ltd., a Government agency. It included a set of postage

stamps issued to commemorate the commissioning of Canada's first big atomic power station of 200 megawatts at Douglas Point before the end of this year.