POWER FROM ARAPUNI.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIII, Issue 19456, 12 October 1926, Page 8

POWER FROM ARAPUNI.

PLANT FOR AUCKLAND BOARD. CONTRACTS WORTH £38,500. PURCHASES FROM BRITAIN. ONE ORDER GOES TO AMERICA. Contracts totalling £38,528 were let by the Auckland Electric-Power Board yesterday for tho purchase of the plant that will be needed to receive hydro-electric power from Arapuni in 1928. Of the total amount, £30,000 goes to British firms and £B3OO to an American concern. One Swiss and one German firm also tendered for the machinery, bat in each instance the prices were higher than the lowest British tender. The British Thomson-Houston Company, of England, tendering through the National Electrical and Engineering Company, secured the contract for the supply of three 2000 kw. rotary converters, transformers, starting gear and direct current switchgear of an automatic character. The price was £19.015, the next lowest tender being that of Metropolitan Vickers of £19,252. This equipment will be installed in the King's Wharf power station, which will be run as a sub-statioa when Arapuni power is received. Minor alterations to the building will be necessary to provide the necessary accommodation'. At a later date, probably 1934. a further 2000 kw. rotary converter will be installed, but the purchase of this will be held over until it is needed. Trading With America. In accepting the Thomson-Houston tender, the board declined alternative tenders for plant suitable for a manuallyoperated sub-station. The automatic station, according to a report by the general manager, Mr. R. H. Bartley, will not only save a great deal in operating costs, but will eliminate entirely the humaa element which is unavoidable with manu-ally-operated switchgear and which is responsible in many instances for delays in restoring the service after an interruption.

For the supply of the seven 22,000-volt single-phase transformers, which will be installed at the King's Wharf station in order to step down Arapuni power from, 22,000 volts to 6600 volts for city distribution, an American tender was accepted —that of the International General Electrical Company, tendering through the National Electrical and Engineering Company. It was the lowest tender, £8315, the next lowest being that of the British General Electrical Company for £10,052. The question whether the acceptance of an American tender was in order was raised by Mr. T. Bloodworth, who said that while he agreed that the lowest tender should be accepted, he remembered the board had no.t in the past always adhered to that principle. "Personally," he added, " I think it would be very impolitic, if I might use the term, to turn down an American tender when our chief commercial agent is in America advocating that Americans should buy New Zealand goods." Preference to Britain. Air. J. Bowe asked whether it was not a fact that, the board had a minute on its books binding it not to accept foreign tenders. The Chairman, Mr. W. J. Holdsworth: No, the resolution says we will give preference to British firms.

The general manager said that in electrical matters he did not 'regard American firms as being "foreign." The American firm in question was one of the best in existence and the machinery for which it had tendered was of high efficiency, which, when capitalised, meant a good deal to the board, as much as £3OOO a year for 1 per cent, efficiency. The price, moreover, had been loaded with all contingencies, including duty and the cost of landing it in Auckland. Mr. Holdsworth said he remembered the board's former general manager, the late Mr. A. Wyllie, saying that American machinery of that particular kind was unequalled and that for a given price it weald give greater efficiency than any Other. For the supply of 22,000-volt switchgear for the King's Wharf station the British Thomson-Houston Company was again the lowest tenderer and was successful in obtaining the contract at £5641. The next lowest was that of Metropolitan Vickers at £6308. The contract for a balancer at the King's Wharf station was let to Metropolitan Vickers at £565. In order to erect and move the machinery ordered, an overhead electric crane will have to be installed at tfcs King's Wharf station. A contract for the purchase of this plant went to the Wharton Crane and Hoist Company, England, the prico being £705. A tender for £4287 was let to the English Electric Company, through Messrs Cory-Wright and Salmon, for the supply of a 2000 kw. rotary converter with transformers and starting gear for the Beresford Street sub-station.