STAND-BY PLANT MAKES PROGRESS.

Star (Christchurch), Volume XLIV, Issue 143, 18 June 1931, Page 16

STAND-BY PLANT MAKES PROGRESS.

COMPLETION EXPECTED BEFORE END OF JULY. (Special to the ** Star.”) WELLINGTON, June 17. The Minister of Public Works, the Hon W. B. Taverner, announced today that good progress had been made by his Department in installing the Diesel engine station at Lyttelton, which is to act as a stand-by plant for the Canterbury electric power system. Progress Made. The Minister was able to give a comp- account of the developments to date. He said that No. 2 Diesel set is completed and was turned over on its own power on June 5. The engine was under adjustment for compression, and at the end of last week was running on the drying out of the generator. This will in all probability take from ten to twelve days, at the end of which time the set will be ready for load. No. 4 set is ready for the turn over and will be run for adjustment purposes this week. The drying out of the generator will be started about June 19 and the set should be ready for load by the end of the month. No. 1 engine is completed, and at present the generator is being lined up and connected. By the end of this month the set will be ready to turn over for adjustment. No. 3 engine bedplate and crankcase are lined up and the assembly of the set will be proceeded with in a week. Thp auxiliaries, such as oil and water pump services, air compressors, switchboards, cables and transformers, are all well in hand, their completion being timed to synchronise with that the various machines they control. Unless any serious setback, at present unforeseen, occurs,” said the Miner» the end of the present month should see two machines ready for operation and the third machine turnmg over on its own power preparatory to drying out. We may safely anticipate that by the end of July all four machines will be ready for operation should the necessity arise.” Position at Coleridge. • Asked what is the position at Lake Coleridge, Mr Taverner stated that at present the lake level was about three feet higher than it was at this time last year. “ Satisfactory as that is,” added Mr Taverner, “the position is really better than that indicated by a threefoot rise in the lake level for the stream flow into the lake is much better than it was at this time last year, and Canterbury people need have no misgivings concerning the electricity supply during this winter.” As to the proposed transfer of three Diesel engines from Penrose, Auckland, to supplement those now approaching completion at Lyttelton, Mr Taverner stated that with the completion of the installation of an additional 15,000 k.w. machine at the Power Board’s steam station at King’s Wharf, the position regarding electricity supply for Auckland and district would appear to be secure, and it would now be possible to give consideration to the question of transferring the Penrose Diesel machines to Lyttelton.