Meremere to be kept on stream

Press, 24 November 1980, Page 6

Meremere to be kept on stream

iPA ' Wellington] The Government haSl deferred closing the Mere-! mere coal-fired power ’ sta-j tion, a decision described as] that of “a drowning man grasping for a lifejacket.” Although hinted at in the! 1980 “Energy Plan" released; earlier this year, the deci-] sion to keep Meremere going; was seen as evidence that, the Government has its; pow e r-planning figures! wrong. ]

The Minister of Energy, (Mr Birch) said revised! plans had been drawn up to; enable the station to con-; tinue in service until the! early 19905. It was to have! closed in 1984. i

He said $2l million would: have to.be, spent. refurbish-: ing Meremere to comply

with the Clean Air Act and for it to run for a further 10 ■ years. i The decision to decommission Meremere was taken 'before the Government de[tided to promote energy-in-tensive industries for the (South Island. These include the expanded Tiwai Point aluminium smelter, and a i second smelter at either ■ Dunedin or Timaru.

I In the North Island, the ’expanding New Zealand [Steel plant at Gleribrook will [also require more electricity. i -“Significant changes are !now expected in the pattern ■ of future electricity demand,” Mr Birch said.! (“These will occur with the: i projected upturn in the’ ; nation's economy, propelled by the Government’s strategies for growth in all the important sectors, including

its encouragement of electricity intensive industries.” A new impetus had been given the power-devel-opment. programme and the Government had decided to: retain Meremere in the; power system to increase se-1 curity of electricity supply] as the economy started to] grow, said the Minister. ;

Dr G. Bertram, a lecturer at Victoria University and] co-author of a Coalition for; Open Government paper on; the electricity surplus,] agreed that Meremere would; offer some security of sup-' ply. but not ■ “The Government is in ef-i feet admitting that its] ‘Energy Pian’ will not pro-! ■vide enough power to meet] the demand it will drop on! to the system.” he said. j “It also indicates that the! Government is worried that'

it will not meet the time-■ table sei out in the plan for; the building of new power I stations.” -'/■■ ■■. . The ‘Energy Plan’ this] ■year called for a speed-up;' 'programme to build the] iClutha project, get the new]' [Huntly power station on) stream, and convert the]' I mothballed . Marsden B oil-| i fired power station to coal. ]■ The main criticism of the plan as it naw stands is that] ■ should New Zealand suffer ar idry year over the South Is-!: 'land hydro dams in the late" ; 1980 s, large quantities of oii would be needed to meet the demand. The shortfall could occur because all the main new industries would be running but the main power projects , would still be under con-! struction. |; Dr Bertram said the'use i

of Meremere would not [avoid the need to burn oil in Idry years. j “It will make a small dent ‘in the amount of oil we [would have to bum.” The; [Government was now “grab|bing for a lifebelt.” “The Government seems lat last to be coming to terms with its planning ; errors,” Dr Bertram said. Meremere, on the banks of the Waikato River, was I commissioned in 1958 with a [generating capacity of 196 ]MVV. Its capacity is greater than all but two of the North Island hydro stations.] but is lower than the big South Island dams at A vie-, more (220 MW), Benmore (540 MW), Manapouri (590; MW), and Roxburgh (320 MW). 1 i