ELECTRICAL BRITAIN

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 76, Issue 114, 17 May 1933, Page 8

ELECTRICAL BRITAIN

GREAT UNDERTAKING YEAR OF ACHIEVEMENT. The generation of electricity by public supply systems showed an increase of over 7 per cent, in 1932 compared with 1931. Great Britain was brought for the first time into third place in the world production of electricity. The Central Electricity Board, in. its report, stated that despite world depression domestic and commercial electrification continued to make substantial progress (says the London “Daily Telegraph”). The demand for electricity in the severely depressed areas, particularly on the North-East Coast and in Scotland, remained steady, and tended even to show an upward trend as compared with 1931. The Midlands and Southern England registered a very considerable increase. The national grid for the supply of electricity through the length and breadth of Britain is now fast reaching completion. Out of the 273 transforming and switching stations, 244 have been finished. “The grid,” says tho report, “has provided a volume of experience in tho design, construction, and operation of largo central power schemes possibly unsurpassed in the world. The result is that the manufacturing industry can deal with the most difficult and the most ambitious schemes with every prospect of success. “The fact that the grid itself is operating with almost complete reliability over 2000 miles already in commission shows that as a technical achievement the national power scheme is one of the outstanding efforts of Great Britain in this century. It is a good example of what can. be effected by co-operation between all sections, of the industry interested in the design and construction of the grid.” Miles of Towers The grid, it is explained, comprises approximately 3000 miles of primary transmission lines, operated at 132,000 volts, linking up selected stations with one another and with the systems of other authorised undertakers in the areas and intcr-conneCting the areas themselves. In addition, there are approximately 1000 miles of secondary lines operated at 66,000 or lower voltages. By tho end of the year all the wayleaves necessary for the erection both of the primary and of the secondary lines had been obtained, except for a few miles mainly in the New Forest area. Since this work began the board has had to negotiate with more than 21,000 owners and occupiers of land, and it “is glad to record that it has been necessary to seek compulsory way-leaves in less than 600 cases.” Construction of the lines advanced almost as rapidly as in 1931. more than 1350 miles of towers having been erected in the course of tho year. Of tho entire transmission system of approximately 4000 miles, inclusive of cables, only 212.5 miles of towers ond 3.5 miles of cables had still to be comi pleted. “The cost of Constructing the grid,” says the report, “is now ascertainable within narrow limits, although some : small degree of estimates is still necessary in respect of works not yet completed and works completed but not yet certificated. The cost will amount to about £26,700,000.” The cost comes within 2f per cent, in excess of the Commissioners’ esti- . mates, despite various departures from plans. Some Figurea. As indications of the large scale of the grid, the following details are 1 given:— There are over 26,000 transmission towers and 273 transforming and switching stations, with a total transforming capacity of 11,000.000 horsepower. The 26,000 overhead towers, in addition to the steel wire in the conductors and the steel work in the switching and transforming stations — including equipment in them—give a total of more than 150,000 tons of highgrade steel —one of the most highly finished products of tho iron and steel industry. There are about 12,000 tons of aluminium—equal to about one-third of an entire year’s output of tho aluminium industry. There are about half a million, tons of cement and 200,000 insulators, the majority of them supplied from the potteries. Tho tonnage of coal represented by steel, cement, insulators, and the electrical engineering and cable-making industries is in excess of 800,000 tons. The total number of workers employed directly or indirectly on the construction of the grid and on stand ardisation of frequency, as far as it has progressed, is between 100,000 and 120,000. During the year the Commissioners issued consents to the borrowing by the board of £4,050,400 for the purposes of the grid. For the purpose of standardisation of frequency they consented during the year to the board borrowing £5,174,600, making the total amount sanctioned for standardisation at the end of the year £12,674,600.