Turbines staying on

Press, 8 July 1976, Page 6

Turbines staying on

PA New Plymouth The New Plymouth power station will not have to be completely shut down for repairs to the extensive damage caused by the explosion in the No. 4 boiler this week, according to the station superintendent (Mr B. S. Smith). The five chimney flues, two of which are known to have been damaged, work independently and repairs can be made individually.

The collapse of a 90m section of the flue of» the No. 4 unit was discovered soon after the explosion, but damage to the neighbouring No. 5 flue became obvious only when a Ministry of Works party took its first close look inside the chimney yesterday. The area was cordoned off on Tuesday because of falling bricks. Mr Smith said the damage to the No. 5 unit, which has yet to be commissioned,

would delay the production of power from that unit, but he did not know for how long. There was speculation that a helicopter would have to be used to lower men into the chimney to gain access to the staircase area, but investigations have shown that little rubble had built up. Meanwhile, the station’s ill luck spread yesterday — to its No. 3 unit, which was shut down during the afternoon with a suspected electrical fault. The trouble was rectified later this evening, and Mr Smith said the unit would begin feeding power back into the national grid at 8 a.m. today. These shut-downs meant that the station’s generating capacity was reduced by about half.