POWER FROM STEAM

Chronicle (Levin), 16 August 1947, Page 5

POWER FROM STEAM

Press Association)

Experiments To Be Made Shortly

(Per

WELLINGTON, Angus.t 15. Natural steain may- be used for the generation qf eleetrical poyver in New Zealand if experiments which are to be inade shortly Dy the Government prove 'mceessful. *' s This was revealed in the House ot Representatives yesterday by the Min ister in Charge of the State HydroEleetric Department (Mr. Sernple) when he presented the annual state ment of the Department. "It is proposed to investigate this matter without delay and to put down trial bores in suitable locations, " saio the Minister. "Natural ste.am wouk provide power coniparable to waterpower in that it would be supplied b} Nature. " Under present world conditions, he said, it was very desirable that tlnelectric supply of the country slioulc be independent of imported f-uel, anu to this end the plentiful hatural re sources of the Dominion should be developed. "The Government has been snbject ed to a certain amount of criticism because it has not ruslied in and puichased steam-generating plant for stand by in a hydro-electric system to obviat. the present sliortage," said Mr. Bemple. "1 liave indicated on previous occasions that tliere may be a place in the system for a percentage of steam generating plant, but that plant, when received, must be purcliased with a proper understanding of the purpose for which it is to be used and of tln possibilities of its -economic use. " The operating cost of any fuel-driven plant in New Zealand was very mucl. greater than for main hydro-generating plant, sa tliat tliere could be 110 ques tion of using fuel-driven plant otliei than for standby purposes. "The dilEculties and delays in oh taining plant at the present tiine arc so great that as a lirst consideration we must concentrate on obtaining adtlitional main plant; to do anything else can only result in delay in completing our main system, ' ' said ihe Minister. It would be better,. he said, so long as good water-power sites were avail able, to push ahead with water-power plants in (lilferent ]iarts of the country, even in excess of immediate r«quirements, to act as standby and later to form part of the main system and be a standby against transmission failures. "A c-ertain amount of steam generating plant miglit be advisable adjacent our main load centres as a replacement for existing plant which is reaching the stage of obsolescence, oi in case it is not possible to nieet rea sonable power dema'nds by the early coustruction of hydro-eiectric stations," said Mr. Semple. "Our present power needs are so great that tliere can be no doubt that any generating plant added to the system must be capab'le of continuoii.s operation over long periods. The size of the plant needed, combined with the necessitv for long periods of running. prccludes the consideration of diesel jlcctric plant, cxcept for installation in •onnection with some particular factory."