NEW POWER STATION

Grey River Argus, 21 November 1944, Page 4

NEW POWER STATION

HIGHBANK TO WORK NEXT YEAR. CHRISTCHURCH, Nov. 20. Power for the South Island will be available from the new hydro-electric station at Highbank early next year. The Minister of Works (Mr Semple) announced during a visit to Highbank this afternoon that the last of the machinery for flie station had arrived at Lyttelton and that the scheme would be in operation by the middle or the end of January. Water from the Rangitata diversion race provided power to light the powerhouse for the first time when Mr Semple pressed a button which started an auxiliary power unit. Lights were switched on after a brief ceremony held to celebrate the arrival of the machinery, and ts part of a demonstration of the control system of the Rangitata irrigation scheme, which was inspected by members of Ashburton local bodies at the invitation of the Minister. The Highbank station, situated at the terminal of the Rangitata diversion" race, will have a single generator of the unusually large capacity of 28,000 kilowatts. It is intended largely for winter use, when it will take its share of the peak loading. In summer irrigation will have first claim on water in the race,''which will be drawn from the Rangitata River and from rivers intersected by the diversion race in its 42-mile course from the Rangi-, tata River to the Rakaia River. I