ELECTRIC POWER

Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 257, 24 July 1920, Page 12

ELECTRIC POWER

EVANS BAY STATION RECOMMENDED , MR. L. BIRKS'S REASONS • '"I recommend tlmt of tlie two sites Under consideration tho Evaus. Bay site be selected and a loan of be lubmitted'to the ■ ratepayers • for the ivoTks proposed, Tiiis is, of course,: additional to the cost of changing over the feticuLition from single phase, 80 cycles, to tho standard threo phase, 50 cycle gystem, of which details are not included in the reports submitted." The abovfl recommendation is made by Mr. Lawrence Birks at tho conclusion of his report on the electric power expansion scheme for Wellington city. Mr. Birks'a reasons ■ forrccommendiug a; steamdriven plant "aro set out as follow:-- ;' -Co^.Thß'' ;; earltest; possible relief should be givcV'in viewot the overloaded con--ditioii of the present installations. (2) That- the plant should be capable of •■-'op&rntkm at the: highest possible economy and efficiency for long or short periods and at heavy oil light loads. (3) That coal should be handled, from tho ;ship's side to.-the power house bnnk-efs,.-fts: economically as possible, and if possible without , being carted over the roads.

(1) That ample coal storage should be . available, us much as possible in overhead bunkers with automatic ele-, .vatijrs. . (5) "That the site should be directly ac- A cessible to the water fnon't to enable condensing; water to be obtained in unrestricted quantitiw. (6) That the plant should be capable o: very ranid firing on emenrencv for Btaridby 6trvice and of equally rapid cut off when the hydro-electric service is restored. This involves provision ■if possible for oil firing on about one-half of the boilers with access to an. -oil storage system. (7) That the plant shall be combined 6s far as possible with a tramway converter * substation for economy in operating staff, and that in addition to this normal operating staff , ft 'number of .other suitable employees of the council shall be resident in the immediate proximity of the power house 'and availablo in case of emergency to assist the ■ nucleus staff. . v

(8) "It is essential that the site should lie outside the business area and within the industrial-area of the city. /' (9) It'is necessary that the ', capital cost of the' installation should lie as low as possible consistent -with satisfac-. Tory and economical service. : . (10) It is also necessary, In view of the experience elsewhere under similar circumstances, that the site should make provision for indefinite future; extensions ' beyond any (possible forecast based on present conditions or oven on , conditions that can be foreseen! for years'' to'comc. And it is necessary above all' Fliat the site should be so selected thatit nhall bo permanent and that there shall be 'no possibility in years to come / of tKe question beins raised that tho' power house hns' i outffrown'>tho canacity ajfl suitability of the new site. "It is proposed," he adds, "to install the following plant:—New units: one SOOO K.W.. and one 1500 K.W. Existing Hobines: two each of 1500 K.W. -with new. three phase "50 cycile alternator,' Existing 750 K.W. reciprocating engine and generator and 1000. K.W. mixed pressure steam turbine from Jervoia Quay; making'a total of 9250 K.W.: total Installed capacity. . This is sufficient for fife immediate demands, but for standby service particularly,' as well as for. economy in operation,/ the larger the unit the better. • And in view of future requirements' I recommend that this be amended by making both , the new units of 3000 E.W. capacity."