Oil-fired power generation likely this month

Press, 16 July 1982, Page 4

Oil-fired power generation likely this month

PA Wellington Expensive oil-fired electricity generation is likely late this month, as a dry year looms for North Island hydro stations. This week the North Island lake storage dropped to 22 per cent full, compared with 38 per cent at the start of July. Transfers across the Cook Strait cable, to save South Island hydro storage, are two-thirds of last week’s levels. The national grid demand is increasing, with new peak and total energy records set on July 8 — 57 gigawatt hours in the North island, 28gW in the South Island. The demand this week is slightly lower, but significant use of the oil-fired Marsden A station is imminent for the first time since winter 1978, said an Electricity Division spokesman, Mr M. Turner. “The next stop is Marsden A within a week or two.

unless there is substantial North Island rain," he said. Gas-fired turbines at New Plymouth, Stratford, and Huntly, have been running at capacity since last week, costing $2.7 million in fuel, and supplying 24 per cent of national demand. One month ago the gas generation was 13 per cent of supply and costing $1.3 million. Next week the Huntly output will reduce as more commissioning trials begin on the long-developed station. Mr Turner said that fuel bills since April totalled about $25 million, 79 per cent more than for the same time last winter. That compared with $45 million spent in fuel for the 1981 financial year. Oil-fired generation is estimated to cost about 12.5 to 14.5 cents a unit, compared with Clyde hydro costs of about 4.5 c a unit.