THIRD KARAPIRO UNIT BEING INSTALLED

Chronicle (Levin), 29 September 1947, Page 7

THIRD KARAPIRO UNIT BEING INSTALLED

AFCKLAND, Scpt. 28. Witli only a i'ew liital test.-. to complotc, thc second .'50, 0(H) k.v.a. turlune at Karapiro has been installed in thc powcr house below the dain and its output is now available to suppliers. Tlic unit is the sccond of thrcc .'50,(100 k.v.a. inaehinos to be opcrated at Ihe daiu, thc first heing brought into thc North Island rcticulatod systcin iasV April shortly ai'ter the compJetiou ot thc ilam. Dclcgatcs to Ihe Electric l'owor Bounds and ►Supjtlv Anthorities Associations' confercnce who visitcd Karapiro and Arapuni ou Saturday, saw both machincs working at full capui-ity. Thc first tcsts of thc sccond niachine were bogun aboul two weeks ago and thc unit was first brought into thc system toward thc cnd of last ucck. Thc Electricity C'ontrollcr, Mr. Kisscl, said thc sccond turbhie respondcd to its tcsts niorc rcadily than thc lirst niachine. It woukl be takcn from thc.

systcin i'roni timc to time for tcsts but iiidications were that the machine would be rcady for full production within a short timc. Askcd about thc third turbine, Mr. Kisscil said niuch of tlie cquipuient had arrived and instaUation work had begun. Witli thc usc of improvised parts it might bc possiblc to havc thc turbine running by ncxt February. This equipment would not be acccptcd as "truc" but would scrve as a tcmporarv mcasure. Difliculties of securing deliveries of the equipment > were vcry Jtrying, addcd Mr. Kisscl. The view that rtelegates would return to thcir boards feeling niore satisI ficd about the powcr supply position I after having scen the two stations, was j cxpressed by Mr. J. A. Xasli, president j of thc Electric Powcr Boards and Sup- ! ply Anthorities Association, after mcni iicrs, secretaries and engineers of supply anthorities throughout New Zea land had iiispected thc hydro-electricity sclicmes at Karapiro and Arapuni on •Saturdav. Bpecial buses and private cars left Auckland earlv on Saturday niorning for Karapiro wlicrc meinbers were shown the general lay-out of the

schenie b^-'i'Ugiheeis of the (l^jMfrtmeut and were theii taken tli rough the 'power house and control toom. The party tlien travcllcd to Arapuni where after lunch, the.v were shown the- largc power house, dam, spillway ' and overiow channed.