HYDRO-ELECTRIC POWER

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 151, 21 March 1919, Page 6

HYDRO-ELECTRIC POWER

CITY COUNCIL'S POSITION

REPORT BY CITY ENGINEER

PROVISION OF STAND-BY PLANT A report by tho City Engineer regarding the hydro-electric power scheme was placed before the City Council last niaht. Mention was made of the fact that the engineer had conferred with Mr. E. Parry, the Government's Chief Electrical Engineer.

"In my opinion," reported the City Engineer, "it is now time that the council should obtain from the Government definite statements regarding the charges which tho corporation will be required to pay for tho su.pply of power; also some definite information as to when power is likely to be available. 1 de,sire to point out that in connection with the Wellington supply the Government will liavo immediately available a market ready to take a considerable portion •of tho power allotted to this municipality, and the conditions are distinctly different from that obtained in Christchurch in connection with the suplily from Lake Coleridge, where (apart from tho tramway undertaking) only a small plant was available for the supplv of electricity to the municipality, and whero tho business of'supplying electricity has not been fullv established. In AVcllington a profitable business will, be available at the inception of the scheme."

Reports that had. been received from tho electrical engineers of the tramway department and the lighting department showed, added Mr. Morton that a very considerable expenditure would be required in connection with both undertakings to enable tfie hydro-electric supply to be made use of. There wero a great many details requiring to worked out. He would particularly draw attention to the pronosal to utilise the electric lighting station as a stniid-bv .station as being the 'iiost suitable; also to provide at tho earliest: possible date that a 3000 kilowatt generator as part of such stand-by station, which would be available until the completion of the new scheme for tho supply of power to both lighting and tramways, nnd which would form a portion of the whole scheme when completed. No time should be lost in cndenvouring to secure this additional machinery; also the necessary transformers and rotary converters for tho supply of direct current to the tramway undertakings through a sub-station at. the southern end of the city. He drew attention also to tho decision which had beemcome to in connection with the alteration of the supply from the' lighting station as regards periodicity. This was essential in order to standardise the whole of tlw plant, and to be in conformity with similar undertakngs in other centres in New Zealand. The work required to bo dono was considerable, and it was absolutely nei-essary that estimates of the proposed expenditure should be prepared as accurately and ns soon as possible, and other fixed charges on the cost of the alterations and the cost of conversion' of the supply to the tramways estimated. It was difficult -at the present, time to estimate accurately owing to the unsettled state of all manufacturing industries throughout tho world, but he had no doubt that sufficient, accuracv could be obtained to enable the council to fully appreciate tho advantages of a hydro-electric schomo. "The advantages of a supply from a hydro-electric sourco arc considerable, and have been set out," added the engineer. "In viow,. however, of the heavy expenditure to b r > incurred in changing over the general public should not be led awav by statements regarding the low rates charged for electricity supplied during hours of light loading in other places. In Christchurch, for example very little machinery had to bo scrapped, owing to the sinnllness of the undertaking existing at, the timo the hydro-electric scheme was inaugurated. The position is entirely different in AVellington, and tho interest and charges in connection with the existing plant, as well as of now machinery, must me met. O i the other hand, tho advantages of standardisation.and of procuring a hydroelectric supply are so great, that I am unable to see how this corporation could refuse to join, even though no financial benefit, immediately resulted. These advantages would each year become more manifest. It would, I consider, be a fatal mistake to continue, as at present, building up each station to suit immediate requirements. "The tramway power station is built o.i a site which should never have been folceted. and is now fully occupied, and difficulty will be experienced in carrying on until the new source of supply is available. Unless tljo proposals now made are carried out I find that it is absolutely impossible to carry on satisfactorily tiie supply for the tramways. It wilt aiso be necessary to securo tho turhino which is on order."

The reports of the two electrical engineers wero attached to the City Engineer's report. Tho Mayor said the report was a valuable one. The present position of the city's electric supply had been a source of great anxiety to tho stall'. The existing plant had been worked to the limit, of its capacity, and the maintenance of the tramways and lighting systems had been made possiblo only by the special efforts of the officers. The Mangahao l scliemo would supply AVellington's needs in tho matter of electricity, but the council would be bound to maintain a stand-by plant. This plant' would bo necessary to guard against temporary failure of the hydraulic system. The fvo existing stations in the city wero unfortunately placed, but it was too late to go back to that question. The clectric lighting plant would become the stand-by plant, and the disadvantage of its distance from the waterfront would be minimised by tho comparatively small demand to be made upon it. The engineer was recommending the purchaso of a 3000-kilowal.ti' generator, which would meet immediate needs and would form an important part of t.lie. stand j by plant. Mr. Luke expressed his strong support of the hydra-electric scheme, even if it

involved, as it would do, the scrapping of some of tho existing steam plant. The engineer was going to have an opportunity to compare steam plants and hydraulic systems in 'many lands, and would come back prepared to give export advice. In the meantime the Mayor felt that the council should work for the hydraulic scheme. Councillor M'Kenzie said the council had not yet discussed tho hydroelectric ' scheme, and he thought it would be wise (o set up a committee of investigation. The abandonment of steam-power in favour of water-power might or might not be justified. The cT.mcil oushf. to gather information and form a definite opinion o!) the subject, since later it would have to explain the whole position In the citizens. Probably the mailer had better , be left over for tho consideration of the new council. The Mayor said that even if the council stuck to steam, much of the present plrnt would have to be scrapped. Councillor Luckie suggested that the council could not form its final opinion until the City Engineer had completed his investigations abroad. Unormons progress had been made in the utilisation of hydro-electric power during rcccnt years, and Mr. Morton would bring back the very latest information.

Councillor Barber remarked that the Mangahao scheme was coming at a very opportune time. Wellington would have hud to face heavy expense in bringing its plant up to modern standards. He had not the least hesitation in saying that the hydro-electric scheme would stimulate industries in Wellington. He knew of industries that had gone to Christchurch already in order to take advantage of the che.iy power available there.

Councillor Shovland said he d:d not think the council should create an impression that Wellington's share of the Mangahao scheme would be held up until Mr. Morton returned. It was not necessary to go abroad in search of information about hydro-electric power, for one of the most modern plants in existence was in successful operation at Lake Coleridgo.

Councillor Wright mentioned the saving in coal that would be effected by

the scheme. This was most important, in view of the very serious shortago of coal in Wellington at tho present time. The report was adopted.

THE "PEAK-LOAD" CONTRACT

"FAIREST THAT COULD BE MADE."

There has been a good deal said recently of the terms 011 which we are likely to purchase our electric current from tho Government once the Mangahao hydro-electric plant is in running order. It has been clearly stated in these columns that tho only method of charging in. such «i ease is on tho basis oi tho peak-load. That is to say, that tho city will have to pay for every hour of the vear on the amount used in the busiest hour of the year—tho true peak benw the maximum draw made on the sources of supply. At iirst dance the method appears to be preposterously unfair, tor tho reason that for 23 out of the 24 hours the doniaud does not nearly icaeh the peak demand, and for eight or ten hours of tho twenty-four it does not climb half-way up to the peak, yet payment lias to be made always 011 the basis of the maximum demand. On the other hand, the position oi tho producer —in our case the Mangahao powerhouse—is that provision has to be made for tho "peak" (whatever it niay be), and as tho running cost of the plant is next to nothing, it is kept goinc so as to produce a full result. Ihe cuirent is there if it is needed, and it is for tho city to do what it can to reduce its peak, and secuTo business for the dead liours in order to get some return from current that otherwise would go to n Mr?H. Holland (Mayor of Christchurch), who was ill Wellington yesterday, informed a Dominion reporter that lie had been in office in Christchurch during the whole period of the change over from steanvKcnerated electric power to that dorived from Lake Coleridge, and he said that Wellington 'need have no minims about the Government form of peak-load contract-it was absolutely the fairest that could lie mado for aU parties. The Christchurch Tramways Board paid =.0 13s. 4d. per kilowatt per year up to 300 kilowatts, and then =£5 per kilowatt for each additional one, nnd the cost worked out to £3 15s, per horse-power per year—a cost no one could complain of. Ihen, with expenence, the beard had iound ; ways and means of lowering its peak, by arranging for certain of its works to close nov. n duri'n" the tramways rush hours, lhey found that it paid to stop the quarry plant at 3 p.m. instead of 5 p.m., as formerly, tho men devoting the last two hours of the day to spawling and cleaning up in readiness for tho morning. They had also managed to effect' big economies in their street lighting by a not too hasty anticipation of tho hours of darkness. There were other industries, including the morning newspapers, which gavo them finite a good load during tho night hours. Still another source of income—and a big ono in prospect-was tho supply of power for electric vehicles, which wero peculiarly suited to Christchurch. Tliero wero at present tliirtv electric motor-cars and lorries in Christchurch, which got; their batteries' charged up from the boards supplv in flu? easy liours of the night. Then'if inclined to run down at all during the day they could usually manago to givo them a "boost up" between noon nnd 1 p.m. Such was tho position ill respect to electric traction in Christchurch that they were erecting a big garage in which the vehicles'could l>n stabled for the whole of the night, and have their batteries recharged at the samo lime. It had boon worked out that it would pay firms running commercial electric vehicles to have them garaged In- the board as woll as fed with juice. The charges ran from per year per car upwards. Christchurch had to pump all its water to a height to get a gravity force. Formerly the machinery used to work pretty continuously, but: in order to lower the peak tho whole of the pumping machinery wa3 stopped botween t p.m. and G p.m., which nipped another bit off tiie peak. Mr. Holland state:? that the Government mnkos the board an annual allowance for its stand-by plant (so that, it will not have to keep one of its own), nnd in Wellington a proportionate allowance will be mado for tho fine stand-by plant we shall have.