KING'S WHARF PLANT

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIX, Issue 21253, 5 August 1932, Page 12

KING'S WHARF PLANT

UNDER STEAM AGAIN READY TO MEET EMERGENCY LOAD NOT YET ASSUMED ARRANGEMENTS FOR COAL Tho Auckland Power Board's plant at King's Wharf has been under steam since yesterday afternoon, awaiting a probable call from the Public Works Department to tako over the Arapuni load. After the arrival of tho engineer-in-chief, Mr. F. W. Furkert, and tho chief electrical engineer, Mr. F. T. M. Kissel, at Arapuni by aeroplane from Wellington, the board was informed that no current would bo required before this morning and that the plant should be kept under light steam meanwhile Tho general manager of the board, Mr. R. H. Bartlcy, received a telephone message yesterday morning from the district electrical engineer for tho Public Works Department at Hamilton, Mr. T. MacLennan, stating that an official letter had been despatched requesting the board to start up tho King's Wharf plant forthwith in readiness to tako over the board's own load and to supply the Public Works Department with a further 6000 kw. for other purposes. Mr. Bartley informed Mr. MacLennan that he could have the plant, running by 4.30 p.m. Thero was not the. least delay or difficulty in mobilising a power-house staff, for tho reason that all the "key-men" had been retained in various departments of tho board's service since the station was shut down last In the early afternoon some of the generators were turning over, mid by the time stated all was in readiness for taking up tho load. Board Well Prepared An immediate conference was arranged with representatives of tho Glen Afton Collieries, Limited, regarding a supply of slack and crushed coal under the com pany's existing agreement with tho board, which has still moro than a year to run. Tho company undertook to furnish 4000 tons, sufficient for a week's running, and to deliver 350 tons of it first thine this morning. Explaining the position yesterday, Mr. Bartley said the board was well prepared to take over the Arapuni load. It was expected to furnish about 34,000 kw., whereas the capacity of the King's Wharf station was 41,000 kw. This load it had actually carried for the short period in March and April last while Arapuni Lake was filling and tho Horahora station was temporarily out of action owing to lack of water. If King's Wharf were required for any length of time, it would bo necessary to engage more staff to deal with routine overhaul and repair work in the plant, but for a short run the men now on duty would bo sufficient. They had taken up their old work at very brief notice, but so far as appearances went in the station that morning they might have been on the job since April without a break. Payment for Using Plant Regarding coal, Mr. Bartley said that when tho call came the board had three days' supply of Waikato slack and a month's supply of imported coal. Tho latter it did not wish to touch. Tho position was that under tho agreement of July, 1930, between tho Public Works . Department, the board and tho Glen I Afton Company, tho company was to ! supply tho board's requirements for 10 years, but tho board had the right to ! terminate the contract at tho end of thrco ! years. Thus tho board could still call upon i (lie company for coal in tho present emcr- ; gency. | On the other hand, tho board's special agreement with the Public Works Department for the prolonged stoppage at Arapuni had expired. Under this, the department had paid tho board 50 per cent of tho difference between its charge for Arapuni power and the cost of generation by steam. The present situation was covered by a clause which required the department to pay tho board the total net cost of operating the stand-by plant during periods of interruption. Asked what effect the restarting of King's Wharf would have upon the payment of compensation to Glen Afton Collieries for tho cessation of coal orders before the end of the three-year period, Mr. Bartley said negotiations for a settlement had not been finalised, but every ton of coal now purchased would bo taken into account iu assessing compensation. POWER SITUATION EVENTS SINCE 1929 The first power was delivered from ihe Arapuni plant early in June, 1929, but it was not until March 6, 1930, that tho King's Wharf steam plant was formally closod and Arapuni took over the whole of the Auckland Power Board's load. Early in the morning of June 7, 1930, a fracture, duo to seepage, was discovered in tho country under the headrace at Arapuni, and four days later tho whole plant was shut down, tho load being taken over by King's Wharf in conjunction with Horahora and various smaller plants in tho Auckland Province. Immediate arrangements were made between the Public Works Department and tho Auckland Power Board for ordering from England a com pie to 15.000 k.w. steam generating unit to supplement tho existing 26,000 k.w. plant at King's Wharf. The Government also granted a lease of the MacDonald State coal mine to Glen Afton Collieries, Limited, on condition that the latter entered into a contract for tho supply of all tho coal required by the station for threo to ten years if required. A financial agreement was mado with the board whereby the Government undertook to find half the extra cost of generating power by steam and to pay half the cost of maintaining King's Wharf as a stand-by plant after tho restoration of Arapuni. Professor P. J. Ilornoll, a Swedish hydro-electrical engineer of world-wide reputation, arrived at tho end of August, 1930. to report upon remedial measures, and his rocommendations woro carried out in detail. The lower portion of the headrace was lined, a drainage system was installed, the falls below the spillway were concreted to prevent further erosion and other protective measures were taken. The refilling of tho dam was begun on March 25 last, water was flowing over Ihe falls on April 6 and tho commercial load was taken up on April 10. By a coincidence tho period between tho closing-down and re-starting of the King's Wharf plant was the same in 1930 as this year —approximately three months.