HYDRO-ELECTRIC POWER

Otago Daily Times, Issue 21671, 15 June 1932, Page 8

HYDRO-ELECTRIC POWER

NORTH ISLAND STATIONS THE LINKING-UP PROCESS (Special to Daily Times.) WELLINGTON, June 14. An important phase in the linking of the North Island hydro-electric power supply system by a great chain of trans mission lines mining Arapuni in the north, ( Mangahao in the south, and Waikaremoana in the east, has been entered upon by the Public Works Department. A contrac* was let some time ago for material for the steel towers to carry the transmission lines across part of the gap between Stratford and Arapuni. When this has been bridged three powerful generating plants, the linking of. which was visualised 15 years ago, will form part of one huge system. It is hoped to have the link completed by the winter of 1984, for 'the reason that by that time the plants at Mangahao and Waikaremoaua will probably have reached their capacity. There will be a certain amout of spare plant available at Arapuni by then, and it will be possible to transfer power from there to the south over the transmission lines which will join he three stations. There is already an inter-communica-tion system between Mangahao and Waikaremoana, these two stations supplying power conjointly over the southern and eastern portion of the island. It is now the aim of the department’s electrical engineers to link them with Arapuni. Much work has been done in recent years in the erection of the transmission lines, and the main power supply from the southern end stretches into Taranaki as far as Stratford, where it s is to branch off to meet the Arapuni supply. From Arapuni in the north the transmission lines will travel through Te Kuiti, Ohura, and Whangamomona, finally joining the southern supply system at the present substation at Stratford. transmission lines have already been pushed about 20 miles south from the Arapuni end and poles have been erected for about 40 miles. The steel towers which were ordered recently will be used to carry high voltage lines across the rough country between Ohura and Whangamomona. The plan also is to skirt the eastern districts between Waikaremoana and Arapuni through the Rotorua area, but this work , will comp later. Efforts are being concentrated at present on the western Hnk, which will be of such value to the North Island as a whole on account of the greater security which it will give so far as a continuous pniVer supply system is concerned. The interconnection system will have a general value fof the whole island in that if one plant has to be closed down for repairs or maintenance purposes the others will be able to continue the supply of power in either direction. Just how valuable the power supply link will be to the North Island is now illustrated in an official estimate of the amount that could have been saved to the Government had it been able to supply power to the north while Arapuni was closed for repairs. Had Mangahao and Waikaremoaua been able .to transmit power to the district served by Araputii while that station was closed, the saving would have been £40,000 in one year, this amount representing the cost spent in purchasing power to make up the Arapuni deficiency.