HYDRO-ELECTRICITY

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume XVII, 29 November 1927, Page 5

HYDRO-ELECTRICITY

MANGAHAO SHUT-DOWNS HASTINGS’ STAND-BY PLANT PROVES ITS EFFICIENCY. At 9.16 last evening, the electric lignti in the residenoee •nd the streets ot Hastings, as wen m outside the borough, went out, and tne town wag left in darknese tor seven minutes. The extinguishment was caused Dy a shut-down Horn Mangahao, bin the moment the current laded the stah ot the Hastings power-house changed over to the borough stand-by plant" and the engines took the load, with the result that the lights were going again before the Mangahao current was available. Mangahao was in commission about a minute later, when the staff changed back again. The light tailed once more at 4.20 o’clock this morning, the stoppage lasting this time for an hour and 50 minutes, but the power-house engines once more took up the burden and everything went smoothlv until things were in order This all goes to show tils reason ableness of Mr. J. H. Scott, the Hastings borough electrical engineer, when he gave the advice, which was adopted, that an adequate stand-by plant should be maintained at the power-house, to be brought into requisition in cases of breakdowns. 'The cause of last night’s mishap is unknown at the power-house, but it was probably due to the high wind prevailing causing a line shortening. SHUT-DOWNS SINCE NOV. 11. Mr. Woods, chief engineer at the power-house, in conversation with a “Tribune” reporter to-day, .said that since November 11. the date on which they took the power from Mangahao, there had been no less than fourteen shut-downs. lasting from three minutes to twenty-one hours. Fie gave the following details: November 13. six minutes, and ten minutes; November 19, eight aours (shortcircuiting at Stanford Lodge); November 20. twenty-one hours (due te same cause); November 21. 15 minutes; November 27. 2hrs. 35mins. (arranged by Government), and last night’s and this morning’s failures, to which must be added six stops of three minutes, bringing the total to fourteen. Already the Hastings stand-by plant has proved its efficiency and value in a crisis and demonstrated the necessity of its being maintained in a condition to meet such emergencies.