HYDRO-ELECTRICITY.

Taranaki Daily News, 26 August 1921, Page 6

HYDRO-ELECTRICITY.

SOME FURTHER POINTS.

WHAT POWER CAN BE GENERATED

No. 11. In yesterday’s issue we traversed,some of the points mentioned by the Mayor in his reply to the deputation which waited on the council on Monday. In the following article we deal with other matters, particularly the difference that exists between the borough electrical engineer and the consulting engineers respecting the total power that will be generated when the full scheme (of which the present works form part) is in operation. By a perusal of their statements the public can form their own ideas. The amount of power available is the crux of the situation, for if the consulting engineers’ estimates can be depended upon, New Plymouth will be in a position to provide power for the Home firm which wishes to set up elec-' trie smelting works in the town, as well as other parts of the province, whereas if the other estimate is accepted there will be no power available for the proposed smelting works. If the electrical engineer is right, then there is ample justification for the council taking a survey of the upper reaches in order to ascertain definitely if further power can be obtained. The cost will be small, and the time involved will not interfere with the progress of the works now under construction. If the survey, bears out the engineers’ surmises then the council can enter into further negotiations -with the Home firm. This may result in the establishment in New Plymouth of an industry of tremendous * possibilities, not only for this district, but for the whole of New Zealand.

HANGING UP THE WORK. The Mayor said ihe council dare not hang up the tunnelling wotk any longer than necessary, but the fact is that this work is not being expedited as it should be owing to delay by the council in resuming the private land through which the greater part of the tunnel goes. Instead of ihe work proceeding at several heads on the route of the tunnel, oper--1 tions are confined to the one end, and naturally only a limited number of men | can be engaged at a time. Sitrely 'soiueI thing can bo done to expeI dite matters. By the way, the council will have nearly 450 acres to sell of the 550 acres it bought on which to establish the hydro-electric works, which should realise a fairly substantial sum. It cost about £25 per acre. THE BRITISH IRON FIRM.ahe Mayor took the strongest exception to any suggestion that the council had broken off negotiations with Messrs. Summerson and Sons, the Home metallurgists. but manifestly the action of the council on the 15th inst. in agreeing to send a copy of the electrical engineer’s report, which stated the power could not be supplied on the terms proposed, meant nothing else than a severance of negotiations. If the council really desired to continue negotiations it would have acted differently, and gone out of its way to encourage the firm to send its representative out again with a view to effort Ing an arrangement satisfactory to both pa; ies. THE QUESTION OF SUPPLY. ■But the plain fact is that the Mayor has accepted th< lower estimate of the power than can be generated by the full

scheme, namely, 6000 h.p.. as against the 0000 estimated by the consulting engineers, and feels that the conned cannot commit itself to seiiing 4500 to any one firm. If the limit were 6000 'then he would be quite justified in the course he supports. Bui. is /j? Tx-t us examine Mr. Bartley’s and Mr. Blair Mason’s statements. Mr. Bartley nays, in one of his reports:—

The river running 150 cusecs (the minimum flowl will produce 12,960,000 feet of water in one clay. Nine thousand h.p. on a 45 per cent, load factoi Im sis . . . equals 17.060,000 cubic feet of water per day. Of this amount 12.960.000 is supplied from the river and 5.000,000 is drawn from storage.Therefore, at the end of the tenth day the storage is exhausted and only the flow of water from the river direct t&ould be available for power, unless a flood followed immediately, and filled, or parti}’ filled, the storage area. This is my reason for stating that it is the minimum flow on which the calculations must be based. I admit that the average river will be greatly in excess of the minimum flow, 'but whatever this average is. its advantage is wiped out by the ten days’ duration of minimum flow.” THE OTHER SIDE. Mr. Blair Mason and Mr. Lee's reply was as follows: ‘‘The whole question appears to! hinge on the possibility o the river | maintaining a low level over an ex- I tended period. The electrical engineer <ihows that the reservoir when completed will give ten days’ storage (we make it a little more), assuming the maximum of the station to be maintained. It mu.--- be admitted that it is possible for the river to remaifi at a minimum flow for ton days. Such , possibililics are generally expected, but occur so seldom that any inconvenience has to be borne and treated in a similar manner to that of domestic I water supply, in which services that j are not essential are cut down for the | time being. This contingency is pre | sent in many existing power schemes, • but. as it does not often occur, the expense of providing against it becomes unwarranted. We are of opinion that, . given 150 cusfics as a minimum river j flow, it, is improbable that, under rhe | conditions prevailing in Taranaki, such • flow can reach the minimitm frequent!), or remain at a minimum over a protracted power.” THE MAXIMUM POWER. The public may form their own conclusions from these statements, but it seems clear to us that, except in a very dry spell, the 9000 h.p. will be available. Supposing, however, 'Mr. Bartley’s contentions are correct, is it not wise to ascertain now whether further water power can be obtained? , With additional storage the borough will not be taking any risk in entering into a contract for the sale of the power required by the Home firm. Tn any ease, it would seem advisable to continue negotiations and see if an acceptable arrangement can be come tp. The firm, it will be remembered, has offered to finance the undertaking, and this —probably -the greatest—

difficulty would thus be disposed of. A condition could no doubt be inserted in an agreement providing for the curtailment of the power in periods of drought, i Additional storage, however, would get

over this, ensuring continuous power up to 12,000 h.p. The only way to ascertain if the storage and extra water power can be secured ia to have a survey made. THE ESTIMATES. The Mayor stated on Monday that the estimates for the work had increased practically by 400 per cent, since they were first submitted. It cannot be denied that the estimates have increased from £40,000 to £160,000, but the scheme being carried out is not the scheme of 1918, estimated to cost £40.000. The scheme of 1918 was a much smaller one. being designed for 50 cusecs. The present one deals with 200 cusecs. The capacity of No. 1 tunnel was 150 cuseos, and was increased to 200 cusecs. There was no provision for a No. 2 tunnel 4000 feet long. Thb water was to be brought down in a race that could have been cheaply constructed, whilst the tunnel —a more effective and permanent work—is estimated to cost between £40,000 and £50,000. In 1918 wages and price of material were reasonable. By the end of 1920, when the revised estimates were submitted, they had reached their peak. The position in both respects is now easier and improving. It will thus be seen that ihe consulting engineers are not altogether to blame for the tremendous increase in the estimates. By enlarging the scheme the council must accept its share of the responsibility, and it is decidedly unfair tn the engineers to suggest that they alone are 1 to blame.

A STROKE OF GENIUS. As a matter of fact New Zealand in particular, and Taranaki in general, should be very grateful to the consulting engineers for having discovered a source of such /potential power. Before they were called in. the council had practically decided upon a scheme that would have given only about 1090 h.p. additional. After the consulting engineers had been over the ground and studied the possibilities, they brought down a scheme that will ultimately furnish up to 9000 h.p., and even that may not be the limit if a survey of the country further up reveals, as they anticipate, additional water resources and storage facilities. It was really a stroke of genius that put the town and district into possession of such enormous electrical energy. Of course the engineers will not be given credit for their services now. but they will of a certainty later on, when prejudices are dead and the value of their work can be dispassionately considered and proper!) assessed. Meanwhile it serves no useful purpose to gird at the engineers for increases in cost over which, after ail, they had little control. (To be continued.)