Hydro-Electric Power

Waikato Times, Volume 116, Issue 19399, 27 October 1934, Page 5

Hydro-Electric Power

HARNESSING THE WAITAKI. HEW ZEALAND’S GREATEST WORKS OFFICIAL OPENING CEREMONY. (By Telegraph.—Press Association.) WAITAKI HYDRO; October 27. I A little over six years ago it became apparent that the Lake Coleridge hydro-electrio plant would be unable •to, cope with the ever-increasing demands madempon it, so the Government sought for and found a bigger source of power—the Waitaki River, which, if it were fully developed, could provide one million horsepower. Since then, work has proceeded night and day on the construction of New Zealand’s mightiest dam, the biggest Individual engineering undertaking ever attempted by the Public Works Department of the Dominion. The genius of Mr F. T. M. Kissel (chief 'electrical engineer of the Department) conceived and designed the scheme, and the administrative and organising ability of Mr R. 11. Packwiod (en-glneer-in-charge at Waitaki Hydro), carried It through successfully. Linked up with Lake Coleridge and Lake Waipori, this plant will now provide electric power for the major part of the South Island.

Unless one has been closely connected with the work, It would oe difficult to gain any conception of the incessant toil, in offices, in workshops, on land and in water; the hardships, with mountain storms 'and blizzards, 6how, floods and temperatures ranging from 48 degrees below freezing point in winter to about 90 degrees of heat in summer; , the cares and problems that accompanied Hie control of over 1000 men and their families; the con»> slant risks, not only to material and plant worth many thousands of pounds, but also to life and limb; and a myriad important details. “The genius of man has triumphed over the colossal forces of nature in a long and stern battle, in which nine lives have been lost and about 1400 casualties, fortunately mostly minor, have been recorded.

A Treacherous River. A treacherous river at any time, the Waitaki has been deemed unconquerable by many old settlers, but the battlers were favoured by fortune, for not once during the whole six years was a real “old man’’ flood encountered. The roaring flood pouring over the great spillway to-day inspired awe in the observers, but there must also have been wonder when it was realised that the flow was only moderate compared with that of a big'flood. The total length of the Waitaki dam is 1800 feet, with a spillway of 1200 feet, and it far exceeds in volume the jext largest in the country, Arapuni. in contains half-a-million tons of eonjrete, the maximum height being 120 feet, and liiickficss at tlie base 145 feet. Tills huge barrage now controls the flow of a river which, in flood time, is six times as great as that of the Waikato at Arapuni. The ' powerhouse is a handsome building, < 350 feet long, 150 feet wide and 180 j ; feet high, and is an integral part of the I dam. Its lofty windows with Nor- f

man-arched tops, lend an air of dignity ! to the splendid lighting of the interior. There is provision for iflve turbogenerators, each developing 23,000 horse-power, but at present only two have been installed. ; Beautiful Lake. A beautiful lake, 5J miles long and 1§ miles wide at its widest part, has ■been formed and provides an enthralling picture in its setting of mountain grandeur. The tips of poplar and willow trees, which surround submerged homesteads, are peeping above the surface of the. lake, appearing like miniature islands. A magniffoent spectacle is provided by the great fall over the spillway, the largest waterfall in the Dominion. The disrupters in the downstream face of the dam break the fall and. form it into a sparkling, effervescing cascade which, in a curtain of mist, disappears into the turbulent waters below.

Ingenuity and Perseverance. Inside the powerhouse is comparative peace, the machinery providing enough power to drive a battleship without the slightest fuss or noise—in fact, apart from mere size, the great turbines are less impressive than the little generators that supply about '6OO horsepower for domestic uses in the powerhouse and village. The sight of this monument to the ingenuity and perseverance of man among the majestic mountain scenery is one that will live long in the memories of the many people who congregated there to-day.

The Governor-General (Lord Rlcdisloe) said that of all governmental activities in the 'Dominion there was probably none more important, and certainly none more calculated to assisl in expanding its industrial prosperity, its domestic comfort, and its social amenities, Ilian the prudent development of its hydro-electric resources and I heir progressive and enlightened application io Hie multifarious requirements of modern cjvi-

lisation. Making full allowance for some costly experience and temporary set-backs, such as that which occurred at Arapuni three years ago, there was no ground for dissatisfaction with electrical development 'in the Dominion. If allowances were made for the mountainous character and thin population of the areas not yet reticulated it would be found that electric supply was available to no less than 94 per cent of the total population (a percentage probably not exceeded in any other country in the world) with an average consumption per capita of about 500 units a year •—a rate which was steadily increasing. The total capital Invested in electrical supply undertakings in New Zealand was £32,000,000, of which £"28,000,000 had been expended In the last 11 years: During the same period 'Government expenditure had amounted to £10,500,000. The completion of the Waitaki generating station added a further 30,000 kilowatts to the installed generating capacity in the South Island, the ultimate capacity being.'7s,ooo, which could be provided by three additional 15,000 kilowatt units as the demand for power increased in Canterbury, Otago and Southland. It was pleasantly reassuring to know that the public electric supply system of the Dominion had, in compliance with the State Supply of Electricity Act, not merely paid all interest on capital outlay and operating charges, but provided over £1,000,000 in reserves, of which £160,000 had been applied by the Treasury in repayment of loaned capital.

Apart from the Waitaki station the capital Invested In the 86 electric supply systems In New Zealand aggregated over £30,000,000, of which £10,600,000 represented Government expenditure. 'Last year the total units generated numbered over 857,000,000, of which 80 per cent were supplied from Government stations. In spite of adverse economic conditions the consumption of electric energy was steadily advancing, the increase this yeai; being estimated as 5 per cent, above that of 1‘933, and new consumers during the past year having been connected at an average rate of roughly 1000 per month. Approximately 23.5 per cent of the population of the Dominion were scheduled as consumers of electricity, and, as each consumer was deemed to represent a household of four persons, It is calculated that the boon of electric supply is available to '94 per cent of the country’s total population. It was satisfactory to note that while distributing costs were relatively high in this country when compared with some others generating costs were exceptionally low, and as consumption increased with Increased population especially in the rural areas, the former would pome progressively to yield a satisfactory return on capital expenditure. The average cost for ordinary domestic purposes was 1.31 pence per unit as against 1.30 in Oioat Rrilain, and 1.09 in the 'United States of America. Although a reduction in the price of electricity supplied to consumers was greatly to be desired for the purposes of reducing farming, industrial and domestic costs, It was worthy of mention (hat Ibe average revenue per unit received from them as a whole was only 1.28 pence per unit and from those obtaining it fiom the Government schemes for farm and |

I domestic purposes only 1.2.14 pence, i These 'figures 'compared favourably with unit charges operating in more thickly populated areas in other parts of the world. Town and Country. Any movement which tended to knit town and country more closely together and to cause their respective communities to realise their . mutual interdependence and identity of interests was of outstanding national importance, and this was especially true of the supply and distribution of electricity. In the present state of International finance it was of vital Importance to national welfare to trade with those countries which traded with us. As much of the fuel ' which supplied mechanical energy on New Zealand farms was imported from foreign countries whose custom with-the .Dominion was negligible, the adverse trade balance might be materially reduced by a greater use of electricity for such purposes. It was in these countries which had been equipped by Nature with great waterpower of ' immeasurable potential energy and which were at the same time predominantly agricultural that the possibilities of the application of electrical science and equipment to rural industry had been most marked and had demonstrated the wide scope of its potential economic utilisation in a great variety of processes. The much 'criticised lack of uniformity in the 'quality of New Zealand dairy produce in British markets was in no small measure due to the inadequate scouring, with steam or boiling water, of milking machines and other dairy utensils on the farm. He could confidently prophesy that if and

j when electricity became available for this purpose to the majority of dairy farmers the average value of this Dominion’s butter and cheese In Great Britain would rise by at least a 1d per lb and thereby on many a well-managed farm bridge the gap between loss and profit. Among possible industrial developments which, he understood, might I follow the establishment of this great power station were the synthetic production of nitrogen from the air, the inauguration of the aluminium and caustic soda industries (the former if bauxite could be obtained cheaply from overseas), the winning of asbestos and the low-grade mining on an extensive scale of gold and other metals. It was his earnest hope and prayer, as ho formally declared open this epoch-making undertaking, that it , would prove an incalculable blessing to people of 'all classes in this part of the Dominion and usher in a new era of prosperity, happiness and industrial progress.

MR COATES’ CONGRATULATIONS. 'POLICY OF DEVELOPMENT. BROAD NATIONAL LINES. (By Telegraph.—Press Association.) WELLINGTON, Saturday. The following statement relative to the opening of the Waltaki hydroelectric .works was made by jHoa. J. G.^

Coates, who was unable to attend the ceremony:—

“It is pleasing to see that successive 'Governments and successive ministers have confirmed the policy of development of the Dominion's wonderful resources In water power on broad national lines, and In conformity with a definite scheme. I think it Is generally agreed, among those who are conversant with the power supply problem that New Zealand has tackled the problem in the correct wayr and that the Government has been well advised by its technical experts in launching and carrying through the various developments that have been completed. Praise of Power Boards. "The setting up of various power boards throughout the Dominion has done a great deal 'to bring the development of electricity to its present high stage. It has given to the people generally, through the local authority in the district, a direct interest in this great business, and there is no question that the energy and enthusiasm of these local power boards have enabled the 'lines to be pushed out into areas that would have been difficult if 'the work had been attempted by one organisation alone. “It may ‘be that in one or two cases these local controlling authorities have been undply optimistic, and may in their enthusiasm have gone a little further -than later experience would have dictated as being wise. Considering the size and complexity of the task that has been undertaken, however, I think 'that we can safely say that not many mistakes have been made, and that the mistakes are more than counterbalanced by the many advantages that have accrued from the policy that has been adopted.

"One of the most pleasing features of the development generally has been tiie co-operation between town and 'country."