Irony Of Present Power Situation

Chronicle (Levin), 4 November 1948, Page 6

Irony Of Present Power Situation

f . . WELLINGTON, Nov. 3. The ifouy of the present power sit.ua-, tion was that generating equipment for Maraetai was delivered by the United »States and Canadian suppliers before the foundations of the power houso. had even been started, said Mr. L. D. Burgess (Palmerston North) at the annual conference of the New Zealand Manufacturers' Federation. The conference adoptea a remit moved by Mr. Burgess on behalf of Wellington manufacturers, proposing that, in view-o'f the fact that plant for Maraetai 'had now arrived in New Zealand, the conference urges the Govornment to expedite the coinpletion of the ■jseheme- by wo'rking three shifts and so , accelerating Construction. Further, that the conference, iecognising the uecessity and ui'gency, requests the Government to order immediately two large steam stations to cove.r the .position until hydro power could cope with the demand. -

Manufacturers were alarmed at miormation supplied on reliable authority, of the real position of the Dominion's power dehciency, said Mr. Burgess. He traeed the history of the power shortage ovef the last 10 years and of attempts made by leading engineers -to impress the urgency of the situation on the Minister in cliarge of the HydroElectric Department, Mr. Semple, as far back as 1937. Mr. Semple, in 1938. had declared that "some people had got panicky" and that those who thought an "abnonnal" increase in the. power requirements in New ZeaJand was going to coutinue, should get it out of their minds. Bv 1941 the position was deteriorating so rapidly that a comniittee of engiueers was set up by the Electric Supply Engineers' Institute to go into the inatter. Again voluminous reports, since proved correct, were drawn up but still the Govermneut failed to take steps for a correctiou. The Minister was advised in 1!)43 by four leading engineers, to install steam plants immediately at Wellington and Auckland. An option had been secured over a very large boiler alreadv packed in Englaud and a turbine was promised to follow. Publie opinion throughout the North Lsland fervently supported this proposal. The Minister thanked the depu tation and stated that the necessary steam plants would be ordered at once. The plain fact was that they were never ordered. A suggestion had been made that a delegation of four professional engineers be sent overseas to try to secure j suitable plant — two from the supply authorities and two from the Government. There was a big hope of this being done, even the Minister of Finance saving at the Power Board conference at Napier that it was a good idea, but this again was seotched and Mr. I. 1L Bobinson (now at Hutt) went alone.

Eecently* another comniittee of engineers again went into the matter and recommended steam stations for Auckland and Wellington, yet all had reached the same conclusion that the only relief possible was steam. Surely all these engineers could not be wrong? Hydro development took too long to build to catch up on the shortage. Reliable reports indicated that if tenders were called in New Zealand papers alone, they would hring at least two contractors for the supply, delivery and erection of' steam plants inside two

years. , The Mayor of Huntly had said there were enormous -reserves of coal near Huntly suitable for- the project. Even if it were impossible to get coal, oil. already used extensively for refuelling shipping, could be secured from private enterprise. The position regarding power was getting worse and would continue to do so even if the eountry was lucky enough to strike very wet seasons to protfide the lnaximum load from the existing stations but if it had the misfortune to experience dry seasons, it would be calamitous. In the last 14 months, 106,000 kilowatts of extra power had become available in the North Isjand but it had already been absorbed by the power boards . which were still heavily restricted in their demands. Drastic power cuts had again been introduced. It took seven years to build Karapiro and the power had all been absorbed in less than 12 months. Could the tragic pqsition be better explainodlf The tunnel to divert the Waikato River would not be finished till the New Year. Most countries would work three shifts on such important work instead of a 40-hour week. Even now it will be at least three years hefore Maraetai would be productive and taking into consideration that it required approximately five years to huild each hydro station, the experts considered that at the present rate of progress the people were not likely to get enough power to lift the restrictions within the next ten years.

"Although 'steam generation is aclcnowledged to b'e not as economical as hvdro, it is not a question -of can we alford na'tionally to install steam but ratlier a question of can we alford not to have it in terms of the colossal losses in production and subsequent ills which must follow," Mr. Burgess stated. "The unit cost must be compared with hydro which noes not exist. ' ' Mr. Burgess said it appeared that the Minister was adverse to steam because he could not get coal. Other countries could get coal but boilers could be purchased that will burn eitlier coal or fuel oil and fuel oil could be purchased.