ELECTRIC POWER CUT

Greymouth Evening Star, 5 February 1947, Page 3

ELECTRIC POWER CUT

CRITICAL SITUATION IN NORTH ISLAND GENERATINGVAPAOiTY LOW (P.A.) WELLINGTON, February 4. Without warning, the electricity supply was cut off at different, times in all areas of the North Island tb-day. This was because of overloading. It was necessary to make a cut of 20 per cent., smaller boards being cut in the morning and the big cities in the evening during the peak period. The cut in the cities ran to about an hour and a half. In Wellington, the electricity was cut off at 4.30 p.m. in Ngaio, Khandallah, parts of Thorndon, Miramar, and Lyall Bay by the City Corporation, acting on instructions from the State Hydro-Electric Department. There were several reasons for the sudden reduction in power. For the last few days, the plant at Mangahao has been out of operation for maintenance work and one power unit at Arapuni has also been out of operation. A steam pipe broke in the power plant at King’s Wharf, Auckland, and the plant had to be stopped. Small auxiliary stations which rely on water power have a very reduced output because of the dry conditions. The result was that the system was very short in generating capacity. The load this morning was increased because of overcast conditions in the northern part of the island, caus-. ing a considerable overload on the remaining plants. It was found necessary to reduce the load throughout the North Island to the capacity of the remaining stations. “The position to-day is still serious, said Mr. A. E. Davenport, chief electrical engineer of the State HydroElectric Department. “The siphons at Waikaremoana are being taken out of operation to lengthen them, and this will mean a decrease in the amount of power available until the extension is complete about the end of the week. This will be offset by the return to service of the Mangahao station and the King’s Wharf station, at Auckland, the repairs of which have now been effected. However, consumers generally are urged to use as little power as possible to avoid the necessity of cutting off the supply as had to be done to-day. Conditietis will remain critical, and the strictest economy in the use of the power available is necessary if no further cuts are to be made.” All power boards have been warned that it will be necessary to conserve power when work starts tomorrow on the lengthening of the siphons at Waikaremoana.