‘Clyde power not needed if smelter stops’

Press, 18 May 1982, Page 2

‘Clyde power not needed if smelter stops’

Campaign Power Poll believes that if the second aluminium smelter were not built then 'the Clyde power project would not be needed for normal South Island growth until the year 2000. Mr Noel Gourdie, a spokesman' for the group, believes that statements by the Minister of Energy (Mr Birch) and the Minister of Works (Mr Quigley) are misleading. “Claims that Clyde power is now needed for normal South Island growth cannot be substantiated by the Government’s own figures,” Mr Gourdie said. These figures had been published as recently as March, 1982.

Mr Gourdie said that recent figures indicated that electricity consumption for the 1981-82 year was about 3 per cent above the previous year.

"This is within the range of forecasts made by the Electricity Planning Committee,” he said. Although the peak demand was the highest ever in New Zealand, it was slightly less than anticipated.

“The Cook Strait cable is already fully loaded during peak periods and any increase in South Island generating capacity will be restricted to South Island uses. “Even if the South Island growth rate of 4 per cent, as stated by Mr Birch were to be sustained, then the surplus capacity of the upper Waitaki scheme, so widely advertised before the election, is still capable of providing the 1350GWh required for the Tiwai extensions. "The accelerated construction schedule detailed in the 1981 Energy Plan was capable of supplying for both increased growth in New Zealand consumption and 3150GWh for a second smelter. “If the second smelter does not proceed and the dam construction schedule is maintained, the 3150GWh allocated for the second smelter would have to be taken up by South Island growth because of the Cook Strait'cable restrictions,” he said.

South Island growth of 3150GWh was equivalent to more than doubling the electricity requirements of Christchurch, Dunedin, Inver-

cargill, Bluff, Timaru. Blenheim, Nelson, Westport, and Greymouth. Mr Gourdie said. Opposition spokesmen said yesterday that the Government should build a low dam at Clyde and abandon its negotiations with Pechiney on a price for electricity to the proposed smelter, according to “The Press” reporter in Wellington. Local landowners and other objectors to the high dam had already said that they would not oppose a low dam, said the Shadow Minister of Energy (Mr D. F. Caygill) and the Shadow Minister of Works (Mr F; M. Colman).

A low dam would allow work at the dam site to continue, it would not flood the Cromwell Gorge, and, together with a smaller dam at the upper end of the gorge, would supply roughly the same amount of power as the planned high dam, they said.

The Government should abandon its power-price discussions with Pechiney, the spokesmen said. All details of the negotiations showed that domestic consumers would be subsidising the smelter for years to come.

Given that the smelter was not proceeding, a low dam at Clyde and a smaller one upriver would produce energy that would be needed eventually, in spite of significant savings in electricity use from conservation initiatives.

The only advantage of the high dam over the low was that the high dam produced a surplus of electricity early enough to allow a second smelter to be built by 1986.

Instead of blustering, the Government should “get on with the job” of meeting the country’s actual, not imagined, energy needs, the spokesmen said. All the High court had decided in its recent judgment was that the Planning Tribunal was entitled to take into account the use to be made of electricity before granting or declining a water right.

“That seems to be no more than common sense, and noone, including the Government, is above the law,” the spokesmen said.