Havelock's Electricity

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume X, Issue 154, 15 June 1920, Page 5

Havelock's Electricity

THE MARAETOTARA SCHEME,

UNANIMOUSLY APPROVED.

BY MEETING OF PUBLIC.

ESTIMATED CO1?T £12,527

COMPLETION WITHIN TWELVE

MONTHS

A public meeting was he’d in the Village Hall last evening to consider the Maraetotara hydro-electric scheme and the proposed new agreement with the Hastings Borough Council. Mr. E. C. Clarkson, chairman of the Town Board, occupied the chair, and with him on the platform were the Rev. R Waugh, Messrs. Mason Chambers, J. Phillips, W. J. Rush, H A. Mossman, J. H. Joll and Mr. H. W. Chime, the board’s engineer. There was a good attendance of the general pub.ic, including a number of ladies. Mr. Clarkson stated the object of the meeting. He said the agreement with Hastings expires in October, 1921. Thev were paying Hastings at the rate of 3)d per unit, and under the proposed hew agreement they were going to pay 4ld per unit. Thev had paid Hastings the sum of £1302 for electrieitv and water during the past. year. Before giving Havelock extra power Hastings would have to buv an extra generator. nr>d as the contract was soon expiring Hastings were rather loath to go to this extra expense. HASTINGS’ TERMS. He then read the following letter from the Hastings Borough Council re electric power supply : —' Ihe committee of the council appointed to consider this matter have now discussed it. They have received a report from the electrical engineer, Mr. Rogers, who points out that when the previous agreement with your board was made the cost of producing electricity was l.ld per unit. It ranged between .9d and 1.3 d, the average being about l.ld. The cost is now 2.2 d, or just exactly double. , . “The full capacity of the new machinery would be 60 kilowatts and we desire that the supply be limited to that amount. Mr. Rogers assures us that the present margin is so big that it is a very remote possibility that you would' require any more within five years, but we desire to protect ourselves against being required to procure a lot of expensive machinery in the dying davs of the contract. “We desire to state, therefore, that the terms upon which we are prepared to enter a new contract are as follows :— “(1) The price to he a flat rate of 4Jd ner unit. “(2) The supply to bo limited to 60 kilowatts ner hour. “(3) The’ term to be five years, but if Waikaremoana or any other Government supply should become available to both towns' within that time then the agreement may’ be terminated thereafter by six calendar months notice in writing on either side.

‘‘ill Such other terms of the old a 4r.-e.lien- as are no>r applicable. “It was also pointed out that if Waikaremoana becomes available- it would cost Hastings and Havelock some thousands of pounds each to connect, but that most of this cou.d be done at the one expense by mutual arrangement. That would be a matter for future agreement.

“We desire to point out that since the former agreement was made the price to our own consumers was raised by one penny per unit, whereas no such increase was made in Havelock. In previous years all the profit we have made out of this supply is small, and although it is a matter for my committee to decide we wish to be quite frank, and personai’y I have no objection to showing you the figures upon which this price is based. “Will you please consider the matter and let us have a reply as soon as possible. —(Sgd.) Geo. Ebbett, Mayor.” THE SCHEME. The Tow n- Board had a scheme which they proposed to lay before the ratepayers of harnessing the Maraetotara falls for the purpose of generating electric current. The chairman stated that iti has been a loss to the township that they were unable to obtain the extra power which they required. Air. Complin then read the following report from Messrs. H. W. Climie and Son, engineers to the Havelock North Town Board :— CLIMIE AND SON’S REPORT.

“We have the honour, in accordance with your instructions, to submit the following report on the proposal, first mooted by tne Rev. Waugh, to harness a series of falls on the Maraetotara stream to supply your district with electric light and poxver. “The proposal is to divert the water by means of a dam placed above the highest fall, at a point about 1| miles above the Waimarania road, convey it down the road reserve in a suitable conduit until a fall of about 70 feet is obtained, then pass it through a turbine and return it to the stream, and transmit the hydro-electric power thus developed to the village by an overhead lino. One hundred horse-power is the amount of power proposed to be delired at the sub-station. Our levels show that there is a natural fall of 65 feet from the top of the large fall mentioned above to the bottom of the rapids 32 chains lower down. Below this point the stream flattens out, and we consider it would not be economical to gain more fall by carrying the conduit a further distance down stream. The same applies to any extension up stream from the proposed intake. Reliable records of the volume of water in the stream during the dry seasons are limited to our own measurements made last autumn and that of Mr. John Chambers observed in an abnormally dry season. With the nett fall that is available, namely 60 feet, the former quantity would justify the installation of 250 horse-power and the latter 140 horse-power of turbine capacity, and would deliver per annum 400,000 and 224,000 units of electricity respectively. Your consumption last year amounted to 60.000 units. With the comparatively low fall that is available it is out of the question to store sufficient water to tide over a dryseason, about 1000 cubic feet being required for the production of a unit of electricity. A small dam, however, is required at the intake, not only to divert the water into the conduit but also to prevent it from running to waste when the full volume is not required in the dry season at certain periods of the day. We consider that a dam, fix e feet high, which would back the water up for about 23 chains, would gix'e sufficient storage to act thus as a regulating reservoir. The dam should he of mass concrete, designed to safely withstand any flood that might come over it. The conditions are very favourable for the construetiion of such a dam aboxe the large fal(. [Then follows details of the method of laying and constructing the intake and pipe line which the engineers propose should- be on the right bank of the stream.] A surge tank is necessary at the lower end of a long pipe line, not only to keep the ‘water hammer’ within safe limits, but also to supply a sudden demand until the long column of water in the. pipe line can get in motion. The tank should be placed as closed to the turbine as the. contour of the. ground will permit, so that a comparatively short steel pipe can connect with the turbine. Owing to tho difficulty of enlarging the headworks, and of duplicating the pipeline and surge tank when required at a later date, we consider that these portions of the schema shoo’d be constructed in the first place to deal with the volume of water ax-ailable in normal dry seasons. The additional cost we es-

timate would amount to only £1,050, and this sum is included in our total estimate of cost. Three’phase alternating current at 50 cycles should be generated at ,3300 volts, and transmitted at this pressure to th.e village in as direct a line as natural features will allow. Although this transmission voltage is somewhat low for the distance — seven miles—the elimination of step-up and stem-down transformers, and the simplicity of the arrangement warrant the expenditure on the larger conductors required, at least for the transmission of 100 horse-power. The pole line, however, should be so designed that when the generating plant is duplicated another circuit may be erected or a higher pressure adopted. THE COST. “Our estimate of the cost of the scheme outlined above, with one generating set of 125 horse-power, is £12,527, inclusive of 20 ger cent, to cover contingencies, first year’s interest and’ sinking fund and engineering. For a further expenditure of £4,896 the output of the scheme could be doubled. The annual cost, inclusive of interest and sinking fund, of delivering 100 horse-power at the village will be, we estimate, £1,014 and for 200 horse-power £1,412, which is equivalent to £10.14 and £7.06 per horsepower per year, respectively. The cost per unit ot electricity delivered at the sub-station would be IJd for the smaller scheme and id for the larger one. The annual cost of power bought in bulk from the Government’s hydro-electric schemes is based on the consumers’ maximum demand. Expressed per horse-power per year the charges are equivalent to £8 6/8 for the first 240 horse-power and £5 for all over 240 horse-power. NON-ATTENDANCE PLANT. “A small hydro-electric scheme such as the one outlined above can suppty current at a price that wi.l compare favourably witn that from any other (source, because in small stations, if the plant is of high-class manufacture, it is possible to dispense with attendance. almost entirely. Several of these non-attendant plants have been in operation in the Dominion for a number ot years and have proved most successful. In- California there a?e many hydro-electric stations, some of them of several thousand horse-power, wmeh operate on the same system. Our own experience indicates that on the average a bi-weekly visit to the power station is sufficient. At this season of the year, however, the screens at the intake require more frequent attention. At other seasons such reliance is placed the automatic operation of the plant that the borough engineer is permitted to leave the district on. business or holidays for a week at a time. “We consider that the scheme eould be completed in twelve months after the contracts have been let.

(Signed) H. W. Climie and Sons, H. R. Climie Assoc. M. Inst. C.E.” “We attach a schedule shewing how our estimates are arrived at. ESTIMATE OF COST.

Development and transmission of 100 h.p- to Havelock North: — intake, screens, etc., Supply pipe 36in. diameter, £4,<05. Surge tank, penstock, etc., £OBO- - house, tail race, etc., £864. Generating plant, electrical gear, etc., £2,820. Transmission line to village, £2,438. Total estimated cost, inclusive of contingencies, engineering, and *^ r j t year’s interest and sinking tuna, £12,527. — _ ANNUAL CHAKSEa.

Interest and sinking fund, £Bl4. Travelling expenses and attendance, £125. Maintenance, etc., £<u. Total annual cost, £1,014. MR. WAUGH POINTS OUT ADVANTAGES.

The chairman then caked on the Rev. R IVaugli (wno had first mentioned the scheme) to speak. In the course of his rema-rks, he said that Hastings was not to blame for asking for a higher rate. They had to on account of exira cost ot fuel'. Hydro-electricity was the one hope in these matters. He had this scheme in his mind for some years, but refrained from mentioning it until he found the other schemes were not gone on with. The place was very accessible to all road traffic, there being a good road to the very spot. They deprived no one of their water supply, le Awanga settlers will never know their water has been used. One question will be raised- -is there' sufficient water in tike Maraetotara stream? That raises a big question. This river is spring fed, not dependent upon rainfall at all, and’ the river varies very little summer and winter. The river was measured last summer and it registered 15 cubic feet per second and again last week when it measured 16 or 17 cubic feet. The stream was measured after a prolonged drought many years ago when there were only about eight cubic feet per second, hut between where it was measured and the big fall there are six distinct springs, one in particular delivering a considerable amount of water, hut even with the eight feet of wafer the plant would deliver three times as much current as they were using in Havelock to-day. Havelock had a built-up scheme to start with, and people were learning to use electricity. The scheme would pay from the outset. Their load works out at an average of ten horse power throughout the 24 hours. They have to grow 30 per cent, to get the best out of it, but even now it would pay handsomely. There are about 77 hvdro-electric schemes in New Zealand and there are 19 schemes similar to what they propose and not a single one has had to come back cn the ratepayers for rates. They were paying the Town Board 7d. for light and 4d. for power. The cost to Havelock will probably be o}d. and the light will be at least Bd., if not more, under the new proposed contract. They used 60,000 units last year and the figures are. running about 20 per cent larger, with no extra consumers. There are about 50 to 60 persons waiting to be. connected. 220 consumers are on now. The cost of running the jVTaractotara power will be £lOl4, against probably £1,900 to pay Hastings. The more you take out of' a plant the cheaper it is. They were paving Hastings £4OO for pumping water for us. With the proposed plant it would be a simple thing to put in a pumping plant and reservoir and the pumping would cost nothing, the work being done during the night. The power is running to waste and it is within reach. Waikaremoana scheme cannot be here for another five years. ' while this scheme will nearly pay for itself in that time.

TOWN BOARD UNANIMOUS. Air. Alossman said, the Town Board xvere unanimous to a man for this scheme. They had given the matter much thought and had a number of consultations with Alessrs. Climie ami Son, and now they felt they could thoroughly recommend the scheme to the ratepayers as a safe and thorough sound scheme. He gave the greatest credit to the? Rev. R. AVaugh for initiating this scheme. He wanted the ratepayers to point out any weakness in their scheme. He did not think the light would come down much below 7dbut heater and power current would come down. He was inclined to think thev would hesitate a good deal before they linked up with AVaikaremoana, as their own scheme would be so good. He wished to say that Hastings had treated them very well in all their discussions. Ueciricity was costing Hastings 100 per cent more now than when they first started. Air. J. H. .Toll said he was interested in the financial success of the scheme, and he considered it was going to bo a great financial success because it was’ going to pay its way. Mr. Phillips said he had been on the ground and

as far as he could see, it was thing, large enough for Havelock, a cheap scheme and one he Waa thoroughly in accord with. .Mr. .Milne asked whether they would serve outside the borough boundary, and the Chairman said they contemplated securing a distance of three miles beyond the boundary. In reply to a question, the Rev. Waugh said that a 60 kilowatt load would be ample for the next five years. It was the lighting load at night what paid for the plant MADE BY’ NATURE. Mr. Climie said the foundation of the dam was of hard rock and material for it could be obtained! on the spot. The place was made by nature for the work. About 100 poles were required for the line. The manufacturer* were prepared to give delivery in six months after the order was given. He was confident of the success of this scheme, both from a financial and engineering point of view. He said that if immediate steps were taken, the scheme could be got going before the contract with Hastings expired. Ho considered it could be done at the price stated. His prices were based on recent quotations, and on to that allowed 7 per cent for contingencies. .Mr. Mason Chambers said he must compliment all the rentlemen present on the lucid way they had explained this matter. He moved:—

“That this meeting approves of the scheme for the electric supply for Havelock as. reported on by Messrs. Climie and Son and urges that immediate steps be taken by the Town Board to carry out the necessary work.” Mr. J. R. MacLennan seconded the resolution most heartedly. An amendment was moved that the loan be held over, until such time as rating on the unimproved value came into force. The Town Clerk (Mr. Complin) explained that rating on the unimproved value entirely rested with the ratepayers who only had to find the necessary requisition when a poll must be held on the matter. On this explanation the amendment was withdrawn. The motion was then put and carried unanimously. Mr. Charles Ellison moved a very hearty vote of thanks to the Rev. R. Waugh which was carried by acclamation.