HYDRO-ELECTRICITY

Greymouth Evening Star, 2 March 1920, Page 5

HYD RO-ELECTRICITY

ANOTHER STAGE.

APPROXIMATE REQUIREMENTS,

HOPEFUL OUTLOOK

In a-matter of eighteen months from now Greymoritii and the district as far as Kumara will he supplied with electric power. Coal mines will be run by electricity; workshops' wall be fitted with such power; the streets will be lit by electricity and, it is confidently expected, the wharves will also be brilliantly lighted. Of course, all this is dependent upon certain features —cost, labour, availability of material and so forth, but, nevertheless, the fact that a great deal of preliminary work has been done in respect to securing data from Mr Birks, the Government hydro-electric expert, is most satisfactory. In the course of an interview with a “Greymouth Evening Star” reporter to-day, Mr TV. J. O’Donnell, the Borough Engineer, said that three schemes for hydro-electric power had been reported .upon by him. He was requested to report upon two of these, and he submitted the other “off his own bat.” One of the schemes was to get power from Baker’s Creek. He inspected the locality and found that it had 1200 ft of pipe line and was GOOft above sea level. This would give a pressure of 2-101 bat the gauge. He also inspected an auxiliary creek, which could be brought intp Baker’s Creek at Eagan** and this would give as much pressure as the other. ■ The Canoe Creek, about 2G miles from Greymouth, was also inspected, and it was found that a similar pressure could be obtained as at Baker’s Creek.

The third scheme, which was submitted by the engineer, was that Lake Brunner should bo utilised. The engineer stated that he had this scheme in mind for a long time. There was a "reservoir 28Oft above sea level, and the Arnold River was the only outlet whilst the rest of the countrv was “inlet.” The harnessing of the Arnold River would give approximately 20,000 horse-power, which would be about three t'nms as much as would b° required fm* present purposes. Where to harness the river was, of course, a matter for the Government expert.

Speaking of the value of electric power, Mr O’Donnell mentioned that three biff enprineerin" firms in Christchurch had scranned the whole of their suction plants, pas driven and st«nm plants in o v der to renlace that power by electricity from Lake Coleridge, which was cheaper than either. The' approximate requirements of the Greymouth-Kumara dLtrict have been estimated as foU lows:— Timber mills 2550 h.p, Cabinetmaking and joinery ... 175 Mines (approximate) ... ... 2?W) Wharf lighting and workshops... 50 Cranes 250 Town lighting 2CO Pumping 200 Total ... 6235 h.n. “It will he seen that from Lake Brunner scheme there would ho a large margin for future requirements,” concluded the engi-’ neer.