POWER SUPPLY

Otago Daily Times, Issue 25799, 21 March 1945, Page 6

POWER SUPPLY

TEN-YEAR PLAN FOR NORTH

ISLAND

NEW STATIONS ON THE WAIKATO (P.A.) WELLINGTON, Mar. 20. The 10-year plan for the development of the North Island electric power system as approved by the Government in August, 1943, included the construction of several large power'stations on the Waikato River, said the Minister of Works, Mr R. Semple, to-day. Of these proposed stations, the next to be built following Karapiro, which was at present under construction, would be at Maraetai. This station, which would be the largest so far planned in New Zealand, would be some 20 miles up river from Arapuni, and would have five main generating units, each consisting of a 50,000 h.p. turbine and a 36.000 kw generator. From this station 220,000-volt transmission lines would be constructed north and south to load centres at Otahuhu and Bunnythorpe, and large substations would be buiit at these terminal points, where the transmitted power would be fed into the existing 110-volt network, the Minister said.

“All the equipment at Maraetai, Hauraki Gulf, Otahuhu, and Bunnythorpe will be considerably larger in capacity and size than any similar equipment installed in New Zealand,” Mr Semple added, ‘‘and to handle the equipment during its erection and maintenance an 80-ton electric overhead travelling crane will be provided at both Otahuhu and Bunnythorpe, while Maraetai will have two 100-ton cranes. Special arrangements will have to be made for the transport of the equipment to the sites, and the Railways Department has in hand the construction of a special railway wagon to carry the largest packages, while the Works Department is arranging for the purchase of a suitable road trailer. “Contracts totalling over £1,900,000 have now been placed for the manufacture of the plant in Britain, Canada, the United States, and New Zealand. The total value of the contracts for manufacture in the United Kingdom is approximately £542,400; in the United States £485,200; and Canada, £476,800; while the manufacture in New Zealand of 74 llOkv airbreak switches and those parts of the turbines that can be made in this country will cost about £52,000. The contracts include provision for the delivery of a considerable quantity of the equipment before the end of next year, and for the balance to arrive during 1947.”