POWER SHORTAGE

Dominion, Volume 21, Issue 116, 14 February 1928, Page 6

POWER SHORTAGE

PALMERSTON’S LOAD RELIEF GIVEN BY BOROUGH PLANT Palmerston North, February 13. “In connection with the electric power shortage," stated Air. W. A. Waters, engineer to the Alanawatu-Oroua Power Board, when reporting at today’s meeting, “1 wish to advise the board that many people are under the impression that Palmerston North has been supplying this power board’s area with all the power required, which is not a fact. The Terrace End plant has been doing its best, .certainly, which is only about 570 k.w. after a.few days’ running, and lor nearly a week their output was about 200 k.w. Our meters show that for the last week in January the maximum load taken by the borough from the Bunnythorpe substation was never less than 528 k.w., while'the units supplied to the borough by us in seven days were 56,628, and on one day the demand reached 624 k.w.” Notice had been served on the borough to keep their load down to 500 k.w., proceeded Mr. Waters, which amount was the maximum amount under contract in times of power shortage. In the period January 24 to January 31 the Terrace End plant drew power during every quarter-hour for seven days from Bunnythorpe, and did not feed one unit back to Bunnythorpe. “The Feilding gas engine has been recommissioned, and is now in service,” he continued. Hurried repairs were made to the old engine, and the alternator was wired up to give a threephase supply, and the damper fitted up to the rotor. We expected that the plant would not run parallel with Mangahao, but fortunately this difficulty was successfully overcome, and this enables us to run the engine at its limit power, 250 h.p “Longburn freezing works have their engines running assisting the power shortage, and the Feilding freezing works have all their engines going also.” Board Will Suffer Loss. “There is no question about it. We will suffer a big loss that it will take us several months to make up,” said Mr. J. A. Nash, M.P. (chairman), when referring to the shortage. “Every prospective consumer is asking himself whether it is worth while connecting up if a permanent supply is not assured.” At the same time, Mr. Nash considered Mr. Kissel (chief engineer of the Public Works Department) was alive to the position) and it was his opinion that the Government would put special legislation through to meet the position. Borough’s Statement, Mr. J. S. Tingey (Feilding) asked why it was that the Palmerston. Borough load had not been reduced. Mr. Al. A. Eliott (borough representative) stated that Mr. Water’s report did not show the true position, for the borough plant had suffered breakdowns in two of its engines. He read a report that had been prepared dealing with the work of the plant, as follows:— “The meters at the power station, Terrace End, show that for the last seven days 12,830 units were obtained from the hydro bulk supply, and 11,250 units were fed back into the hydro system, out of a total of 91,807 units generated. This was equal to an actual average demand from the hydro system for the week of less than 9| k.w. Taking the last three days only of the week, 3330 units were drawn from the power board, and 7007 units fed back in the same period, so that at the present time Palmerston North was more than supplying its own needs on the average. This position existed before trouble was experienced with the plant, and taking a period of eight days before the trouble, 10,290 units were drawn from the hydro supply and 19,480 units supplied back in the same period.” “I think you must admit that Palmerston is doing all it can to help the position,” commented Mr. J. Hodgens, another borough representative.