HYDRO-ELECTRIC POWER

Hokitika Guardian, 31 January 1929, Page 2

HYDRO-ELECTRIC POWER

WAIKAREAIOANA PLANT

RUNNING

WELLINGTON, January 29

At luilf-past twelve last night Waikaremoana took up its first running and is to-day carrying a good part of tlie Hawke’s Hay load preliminary to taking up the Wairnrapa and part of the Wellington district load, should that be necessary, in the course of a day or two. The first great turbo-generator, 30.000 kilowatts, has been running for drying out purposes for about a fortnight, and last evening all was in order for the trial loading. Mr I. R. Robinson, district electrical engineer at Mangaliao, arrived at Napier in the afternoon to supervise operations at the Taradalc sub-station, a few miles outside Napier. Mr W. H. Gregory, resident engineer at Waikaremoaiia, was in charge at the station. The Mangaliao power was shut off at lnatfpast twelve, and following half an hour of thorough testing by instininenis and a comparison of readings over the telephone, the Waikaremoaiia switches were closed at 12.3(5, taking up the small night load of Napier. Hastings, and a couple of freezing works. The operations were completely successful and Waikaremoaiia proved itself ready to take over part ot the heavy demand upon Mangaliao. Its power may reach Wellington city in a few days, each step ahead being taken after thorough testing. Waikaremoaiia steps in in time to relieve Mangaliao’s falling dams, and tinworries of the engineers and the Department in past years, as to meeting the full demands of Government consumers are presumably at an end.