Hydro scheme at Montalto approved

Press, 9 May 1979, Page 3

Hydro scheme at Montalto approved

PA Wellington The Ashburton Electric Power Board has been granted permission to proceed with its hydro-elec-tricity scheme at Montalto. This was announced yesterday by the Minister of Energy (Mr Birch) and was among .seven small hydroelectricity projects approved by the Minister. The schemes- for which construction loans will be approved subject to the necessary statutory approvals being obtained, are: The Ashburton Electric Power Board —Montalto. The Egmont Electric Power Board — Patea. The King Country Electric Power Board — Karioi. The Marlborough Electric Power Board — Branch. The Otago Electric Power Board — Paerau Gorge. The Wairoa ElectricPower Board — Waihi. The Waitaki Electric Power Board — Ahuriri. Schemes for which investigative work can continue are; The Bay of Plenty Electric Power Board —• Mangamako; the King Country Electric Power Board — Ongarue; the Tasman Electric Power Board — Lake Matiri. The West Coast Electric

Power Board had its investigation grant for work at Lake Kaniere turned down. Mr Birch said the Government would review the local hydro development policy annually. The next review would be tabled in Parliament in “a few months time." In the meantime no new investigation-design grants would be approved.

The Ashburton Board’s proposed power station at Montalto will use the Rangitat.a diversion race. Preliminary estimates for the scheme are SIM. The generation of electricity is expected to be significantly less than present bulk purchase prices. It is sited 16km downstream from the Rangitata diversion intake, at the three 2.13 m drops in the race. These cover 260 m. It is proposed to create a race of about 500 m parallel to the existing race. The station is estimated to producel.4MW or about 9GWh per year, which is about 7 per cent of current requirements. It will not affect water required for irrigation. Mr Birch said that the decision to proceed with the schemes had been made

after a review of Government policy. The review had been undertaken because of a “marked change in the relationship between the supply capability and forecast demand. “From an electrical supply viewpoint, there is little need at present for further immediate development of generating capacity,” the Minister said. “The Government recognises, however, that local hydro schemes can be of considerable benefit to the supply authorities involved, and, that a number of authorities have made substantial progress with investigations of specific schemes,” he said. “The Government has agreed, that 10 schemes now at various stages of advancement, can proceed further. Seven of these will be able to go to the construction stage, providing the local authorities concerned can obtain the necessary statutory approvals. “The other three, for which investigation-design grants have already been approved, can continue, although no construction loans for these will be approved in the meantime,” said Mr Birch.