KUROW POWER SCHEME.

Timaru Herald, Volume CXXV, Issue 17947, 4 May 1928, Page 3

KUROW POWER SCHEME.

A SITE SELECTED,

STATEAIENT BY AIR F. AV. FURKERT.

Tiie Public Works Department lias selected a site on the Waitaki river, a lew miles above Kurow, on which to erect large hydro-electric works to supply South Canterbury and North Otago. It is estimated that the undertaking, which will take about three years to complete, will have a capacity equal to that of Arapuni, namely 150,000 horsepower. Complete development is estimated to cost £1,200,000, although the initial expenditure will be reduced to probably £1,000,000 by omitting work not immediately necessary. Reference to the scheme was made by Mr It W. Furker.t, Engineer-m-Cliief of the Public Works Department. He stated that Mr R. H. Packwood, who had been in charge of the Westfield railway deviation since the commencement of the work, would leave for the south, probably this week, to supervise the Waitaki scheme. The work would consist almost entirely of a dam across the Waitaki River, 1 raising the level by about seventy feet. A power house would he built into one end of this structure, and the balance, about 1360 feet long, would be used to discharge surplus and Hood waters. Of the total length of 1700 feet of dam only about. 500 feet would be in the actual river channel, the balance being about forty feet i JI height and built in the banks. There was a huge flow in the river; and the new works would ho capable of generating a supply to meet demands over a wide area for many .years to come. If more power were required than could be secured from the river at present it would always be possible to increase the storage capacity of Lakes Ohau. Tekapp and Pukaki. There was almost twice as much water available as in the Waikato River. Two units, each of 20,000 kilowatts capacity, or two each of 15,000 k.w. would bo inBv building subsequent low control dams at each of the lakes the capacity of the station could be increased to 75,000 k.w. on a 50 per cent load factor basis. Further power both above and below the station could be developed on the river without interfering with the station’s output. “Tho new station will not only supplv South Canterbury and North Otago, but will link with the Lake Coleridge system,” added Mr Furkert. “When Christchurch requires all the power that Lake Coleridge can supply, which may occur at some date not far distant, tho Waitaki supply will reach almost to the city. Eventually ..there will be connection between the lines throughout Canterbury, and Otago. When this is accomplished the system will be very much more reliable, and on interruption of one service others will be able to provide additional power.”