POWER SUPPLY

Otago Daily Times, Issue 24525, 6 February 1941, Page 6

POWER SUPPLY

v- r -‘ r : POSITION IN SOUTH ISLAM) SHORTAGE UNLIKELY AUTHORITIES' DIFFICULTIES (Per United Press Association) f CHRISTCHURCH, Feb. 5. There,is. net likely to be a senouT shortage of power-; in the'South Island, according to' official calculations,. unless an unusually dry; winter is experienced. The use of the new generating units at Waitaki. has enabled the storage of water at the other supply points l —Lake Coleridge. Monowai and Waipori—sufficient to meet- the expected needs. : This was explained id an interview by the Chief Electrical Engineer to the Public Works ’Department. Mr F. T. M. Kissel. Mr Kissel indicated on the oth§r hand that, the. department was seriously ‘perturbed about the delays' in the delivery of plant for power supply extensions caused by war conditions. These -‘delays might affect the supply position’ in 1942. but for the coming winter'’ only' unusually dry conditions would pause the authorities any great concern,- he-said. - , ;■ ’ To emphasise the difficulties being met in. the supply of plant- for the hew stations and for; the additions to existing stations, Mr Kissel said that geherators being built for New Zealand in Great Britain t had actually been damaged by enemy action while on the shop floors, rfbile other plant ordered some time ago from Sweden was still held up in that country, and there seemed little prospect of having the machinery released! Additional Units at “I cannot see that there is much prospect of any serious shortage in the' Sou.<. Island,” Mr Kissel said. > '• That applies to the coming winter when. the--, water supply is normally short in Canterbury and other generating areas; : For future years there is not much prospect sof a shortage unless the deliveries of plant stop altogether. We have taken full advantage of the additional units at Waitaki and they will be run--all the summer as long as the water lasts. Their use to the full capacity has allowed us to store water in Lake Coleridge,' Lake Monowai and Waipori. where considerable additional water has been penned up for use during the .winter. ,In fact, they 1 are almost full. We will be'able to run on that storage; for. the winter, and I can say that there is not much fear of a shortage this winter in the South Island. If we, had an exceedingly adverse- season we might have trouble, hut the season would have to be really exceptional. The position in the’ North Island is much worse than in the South.'? . ■ .v -- - , Delay in Plant Deliveries * In planning for future supply in the South Island, a greet deal of importance had, been attached -to the flew scheme for generating power at Highbank -at the outlet of the Rangitata diversion race into the Rakaia =River. but the delay, In plant for that power station, and ,in the securing iof the steel necessary in the construction of the race ■ had held up the Highbank project. It had originally been, intended to have the -Highbank station generating power, in August of this year, but now. it would not be operating until much later, Highbank. Mr Kissel said, was' expected, to ease the pressure on supply for the winter of 1942. As far as could be seen, it would do that, but there was-.' no certainty in that expectation now because of the many: delays in the arrival of vital plant..; ' : J.: