POWER TROUBLE

Dominion, Volume 33, Issue 195, 14 May 1940, Page 8

POWER TROUBLE

Shortage Of Water And Coal OIL-DRIVEN PLANTS ASSIST Help From Palmerston North And Hastings Because of the difficulty of obtaining coal supplies, the Public Works Department has arranged for the power stations in Palmerston North and Hastings, which have oildriven generating plants, to assist the general hydro-electric systems. A report from Hastings says that the Government has called on all Diesel plants to assist, and that the scheme would continue till the water supply was brought up to sufficient strength to enable sufficient current to be generated to meet the heavy winter demands.

The Chief Electrical Engineer of the Public Works Department, Mr. If. T. Kissel, stated last evening that practically every power board in the North Island was connected with the general hydro-electric power system. For the last two or three winters the department had been getting the Auckland and Wellington steam generating plants to ease the load. Because of the difficulty this year of obtaining coal supplies, particularly in Auckland, the department had arranged for the power plants in Palmerston North and Hastings, which had oil-driven plants, to help by feeding into the system. A “Dominion” Special Service message from Palmerston North says that at the request of the Public Works Department, the Palmerston North City Council’s Diesel-electric standby plant at Terrace End is now supplying the whole of the city's electric power. The generation of electricity by Palmerston North’s Diesel plant will be more costly to the city than its normal supplies from the hydro-electric stations. Because of a shortage of water and coal at other power stations in the North Island, the Hawke’s Bay Power Board's plant in Hastings and Maraetotara are working at full capacity, says a “Dominion” Special Service message from Hastings. To do this the board is using about 15,000 gallons, or 400 drums, of fuel oil every week. For the first time in years all the motors are working at capacity day and night, including motors, direct current from which is being converted to alternating current. The secretary-manager, Mr. H. 11. Wvlie, said the shortage of power, caused by the shortage of water and coal, had necessitated'in the Government calling on ail Diesel plants to supply the Government system. The huge consumption of fuel alone was a big problem, he said, and the Hawke’s Bay board was supplying only a drop in the bucket The consumption of fuel over the whole of the hydro-electric systems was a terrific problem. In addition to the fact that so much was being used at a time when it was needed to be conserved, the handling and the shortage of drums provided another big problem. Mr. Wylie said it was likely that that state of affairs would last for some weeks, or at any rate till the water supply was brought up to sufficient strength to enable sufficient current to be generated to meet the heavy winter demands. “There is no power shortage in Auckland, but the Auckland Electric Power Board has anticipated any contingency by accumulating stocks of coal suitable for the generating plant at King’s Wharf,” said Mr. R. H. Bartley, general manager to the board, states a “Dominion” Special Service message from Auckland, “Because of various factors, including tlie war, conservation and restriction of tlie use of oil and the general power growth, there is an acute shortage of coal of the kind used in steam plants for power generation. Wc are collecting stocks from every possible source. June and July are the heaviest loading months in the year from the viewpoint of electric supply, and it is likely to be difficult to meet ’the power demands, but I do not expect anybody will go short provided wc can get sufficient supplies of suitable coal for the King’s Wharf station.

TRAINS CANCELLED

No Sunday Locals At Auckland (By Telegraph—Press Association.) AUCKLAND, May 13. To conserve coal the Railways Department has cancelled until further notice all Sunday local passenger trains running to and from Auckland. The decision takes effect immediately and there will be no such trains next Sunday. Main Trunk expresses are not affected. The present Sunday timetables provide for nine outward trains and the same number inward. With the onset of winter Sunday train traffic shows the usual seasonal decline, but the lack of rail transport may be felt by visitors to I’apakura military camp.