ELECTRICITY POSITION

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 89, Issue 228, 26 September 1945, Page 3

ELECTRICITY POSITION

RESTRICTIONS FORECAST FOR NEXT WINTER

(P.A.) Wellington, Sept. 25 A forecast that the electricity position next year would be no better than this year, and if coal supplies fall off, as at the beginning of last June, restrictions would have to go on again, was given by the chief electrical engineer of the Public Works Department, Mr. T. F. Kissel, yesterday at the conference of secretaries of the committee of the Power Authorities’ Association. Precautions taken to conserve power were necessary and the thanks of the department were due to the authorities, for they had co-operated. Between January and May of this year the department had allowed the authorities to increase consumption by 3.4 per cent. Unfortunately, at that time the coal miners had let them down pretty badly, and as a result the consumption possible at the end of August was only a point above the previous year. They were also inconvenienced because the Waikaremoana output was particularly low. It was still a bit below normal, but they were getting 6,000,000 units a week more out of Waikaremoana than in the corresponding period last year. Difficulties were relieved to a considerable extent by getting a number five unit at Arapuni into operation. It was a risk, but it was justified by the successful result. EQUIPMENT PROBLEM The department hoped to have another unit at Arapuni working by next June, but it was doubtful. The difficulty was getting equipment from overseas, especially heavy machinery. They had pressed the Imperial authorities for the highest civil priority on plant for Karapiro, but there had been a continuation of delays and the plant promised for last July could not possibily arrive in time to get Karapiro working next year. Nevertheless New Zealand had increased its electricity output in greater proportion than either Britain, Canada or Australia.

Referring to criticism of continuing restrictions in summer and closing of some plants, Mr. Kissel said if the restrictions had been taken off people would have installed extra load potential, and there would have been no hope of getting that load off in winter. Also older plants had to have a spell to prepare for the winter load. The only improvement the departbent might have was the new unit at Arapuni. “We. might possibly have to put a syphon in at Waikaremoana to pull down 10 to 15 feet of water storage that would not otherwise be used,” he addad. “If we do that we pull the level of the lake down, and once we get it down and it doesn’t fill up again, we would be worse off than before.”