Cable claim ‘rubbish’

Press, 25 August 1982, Page 12

Cable claim ‘rubbish’

Wellington reporter

Assertions that electricity from the Clyde dam would be linked with another Cook Strait cable have been dismissed as “complete rubbish’' by the Minister of Energv, Mr Birch. There was no basis whatsoever for making such a claim, he said. The 1982 Energy Plan would show that, in the absence of a second smelter or other large electricity user in 'the South Island, the hydro-development of the Lower Waitaki River would need to be linked with a further cable across Cook Strait.

This, however, was only one of two options that could be considered for the 19905, Mr Birch said. The 1982 Energy Plan would also establish that the completion of the Clyde dam was essential to meet the forecast growth in electricity consumption in the South Island. The Clyde dam would also enable the present Cook Strait link to be used to its full capacity. Transfer across the Cook Strait cable was not necessarily all one way. he said. Recently, more than four gigawatt hours had been transferred to the South Island to help conserve storage.