Power Supply May Be Critical This Year

Northern Advocate, 11 January 1947, Page 2

Power Supply May Be Critical This Year

Electricity supply during the next , few months might be critical but un- j less a second dry year is experienced j no great difficulty is expected. This information was given the | N'orMi Auckland Power Board at Dargaviile in a letter from the electricity controller (Mr. F. T. M. Kissel). "During the coining year we hope to j complete the new generating stations j at Karapiro and Kaitawa." the co- ! troller stated. "On present indications ; it is anticipated that the first unit at Karapiro will be ready to go on load ' sometime in April, but the date can- | no-.; be forecasted closely until at least all the plant is shipped from overseas. "Tiie position at both stations should be better known by the end of the summer, and the probable generation can then be more critically considered by the Power Shortage Advisory Com- | nvttee. "No particularly useful purpose j would therefore be served by lixing allocations now for the whole of the calendar year, as in ■ the coming months the supply available will depend on the progress made in new construction, at Karapiro especially, as well as on actual hydraulic conditions. PRESENT BASIS "In the meantime your allocation of j power commencing the week ending January 4. 1947, will continue on the present basis, namely a 3 per cent, increase each week on the highest weekly consumption in the corresponding weeks of the past three years 1944, 1945. 1946. I "To supply this increase we shall require at least average river flows next year, and moreover we shall have lo draw heavily on storage throughout the summer months. If hydro conditions are below average, or we have a dry summer, the increase in load will have to be reduced below 3 per cent. ' "Probably during March we shall lose the output of Horahora as the station will be submerged. This will represent a loss of 12.000 k.w. on peak and an average of 1.800.000 units a week for several weeks until the lake is filied and Karapiro tested out, unfortunately at a time when the system | load commences to rise steeply. I "According to weather and hydro j conditions the supply position during j the next few months until Karapiro is ! operating may therefore be critical. I | have to ask, therefore, that your coni'umption of power from now onwards land until further notice be held | strictly to the 3 per cent, increase, or i is further reduced in accordance with j any directions issued from lime to • time by the load despatcher." ! KEEPING WITHIN ROUNDS I "The result of this year’s rationing j may give you a measure of the steps j to be taken to keep within the inJ crease allowed for. In January-!eb- ; niary, 1946, before the emergency rationing was imposed on account of the drought conditions, generation averaged a 6 per cent increase above 1945. "The emergency rationing throughout the six months, March lo August, reduced this rate of increase substantially. but even so. generation was 0.3 per cent above the corresponding six months of 1945. "The normal allocation of three per cent increase was returned to at the end of August, but from September 1 to December 15, generation has averaged an 8 per cent increase. This has been allowed to continue only because we have had particularly fav-

1 ourable hydraulic conditions in the I Waikato basin. I “The efTect of last season’s drought on water supplies at Arapuni and I Waikaremoana was felt most severely. ; but we were most fortunate after j July jin experiencing an extremely ! rapid recovery at Tuupo, which is to- ! day within 9in. of being full. At j Waikaremoana. however, the heavy ! siphoning of water necessary to make j good the loss of output at Arapuni during the winter has resulted in the | level being at present 12ft below spill--1 over. WAIKAREMOANA SOON I "The tunnel into Waikaremoana should be ready for use before the I next winter, and the control over stor- | age will then permit full regulation , of the output of the lower stations, j "However, had Taupo not recovered so soon, and had we not been able to I draw on storage at Waikaremoana with the prospect of further storage being shortly available, we could not have met the heavy demand during the spring months. "As long as we do not have a second dry year I am confident that this year will not be a particularly difficult one except, perhaps, in the first few months. No reductions in load below the allocations set will be asked for unless it. is essential to do so. and if these circumstances do eventuate. I hope that all supply authorities will cooperate to the full extent necessary." j CARE NEEDED "That is not altogether discouraging." commented Mr J. A. S. Mac Kay. "We got through reasonably well last year, and should do the same in the coming year." The letter would give the public the j opportunity of understanding the difI ficulties of the supply authorities, said Mr A. Clarke. It would be well for the information . I to go out to the public. Mr J. Stirling 'agreed. While the public realised that I delays in extensions were caused in j part by shortage of materials, few ! of them had any idea of the difficulI ties which faced the board in the j quantity of power available. "I am not very optimistic about the 1 position." Mr Stirling added. "It looks 1 pretty black to me. It is as well that j the people should know so that they : can still be careful with the use of J, power."