HYDRO-ELECTRIC POWER.

King Country Chronicle, Volume XII, Issue 1152, 21 December 1918, Page 3

HYDRO-ELECTRIC POWER.

HORA HORA STATION. MR PARRY'S-RECOMMENDATION. In his report to Parliament Mr E. Parry, M.1.E.E., Chief Electrical Engineer, makes the following recommendation for the acquisition of the Waihi Gold Mining- Co.'s plant:— The need for having an immediate market available for the power to be generated in these generating stations is particularly marked in the case of the Waikato schemes, whether Arapuni or Aratiatia is developed. Either of these schemes, which have very large ultimate capacity, and which will later become the main source of supply to the island, involves heavy expenditure in the earlier stages, and will take some time to construct. The acquisition of the Waihi Company's plant at Horahora suggests a possibility nf obviating this difficulty to some extent. At present this plant is only working to half its capacity, and, the Waihi Company's main interest being gold-mining, no great efforts are made to develop the power business, and so dispose of this surplus power. It is probable that if this plant were taken over by the Department and lines built into Hamilton, the balance of power would soon be absorbed there and in the mining-dis-tricts on the company's existing line. The license issued to the company gives the Government the right to take over these works at any time at valuation. Up to the present the station has been working to only about half its full rated capacity, and further expenditure on headworks would be necessary in order to secure the full rated output of the 6,000 kilowatts now installed with the freedom of interruption which is essential in an ordinary commercial undertaking. It is possible, as shown in interim report of 1916, to augment the supply at Horahora by a development on the Pokaiwhenua river, giving 16,000 h.p. in all, but it is not recommended. The amount of power to be so obtained would be so small that after supplying the needs of the balance of the mining districts near the Waihi Company's existing lines, and running lines to Hamilton, Cambridge, and local markets, there would only be a limited amount—about 7,000 h.p.— left to supply Auckland. This amount is not nearly sufficient for the present requirements of Auckland, and would only emphasise the need of the larger development.