ELECTRIC POWER
—— *-— ' THE LAKE COLERIDGE PLANT EFFICACY ©F HYDRO-ELECTRIC' SUPPLY Christchurch has enjoyed, the advantages of a hydro-electric scheme for power and lighting for some years, and its experience should be of interest to Wellington. In the course of his annual report, the Christohurch Electrical Engineer (Mr. E. E. Stark) says: "It is now a. fact that electrical energy in this district has displaced practically all other means, of power generation on ■ account of its simplioity and economy of application, liven in. the sawing and planing mills, where the.fuel was obtuiued as a waste product, the Central Station electric supply has replaced tho steam engim\ .Formerly the lighting load was loosed upon, by the Central Station-engineer as factor in the cost of selling electrical energy; the power toad is now by far of greater importance." <
On another point the report says: "In referring to our contract with the Government it will be noted that the limit of power, which lias been, assigned to Christchurcli is 4500 kilowatts, being close to 1000 kilowatts more than the City actually requires at the present time. However, it must bo borne in mind that the city is using all restraint possiblo'?on the demand that'is being made. Further,' It must be apparent that this district will require more than the capacity of the present tunnel at Lake Coleridge. It is obvious that if more than the capacity, bf the four pipe lines is required from Lake : Coleridge; a much greater water supply and a new tunnel wiK be necessary, or in lieu of this, another power plant wM be required to be developed to feed into the system." On the question of a. stand-by plant the report contains the following reference:—"During the year tire committee considered" various schemes for fuel stand-by plants, and were in' correspondence with manufacturers of plants, but owing to their inability to obtain, at Jin early date, machinery to copo with the load, and the seriousness of the fuol problem, together with the-large capital cost of the plant and its high running cost, thev all abandoned in favour of the consideration of a hydro plant. The writer wns authorised in November, 1919, to 'go into , tho question of hydro-electric devclomnent on the Waimakariri • Rivor. Mr. Dobson's thrco schemes were reported upon, and surveys made of three sites for impounding dams near and above the Gorge ridg© on the Waimakariri River."
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Dominion, Volume 14, Issue 47, 19 November 1920, Page 7
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399ELECTRIC POWER Dominion, Volume 14, Issue 47, 19 November 1920, Page 7
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