ELECTRIC POWER.

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume XXXX, Issue 5428, 24 May 1929, Page 1

ELECTRIC POWER.

PROGRESS IN THAMES VALLEY. ENGINEER’S ANNUAL REPORT. The following is part of the annual report read by the engineer, Mr N. G. McLeod, to the Thames Valley Electric Power Board at its meeting on Monday : — “The operations during the past year have been difficult, from the power supply point of view, mainly owing to troubles occasioned by the paralleling of the different auxiliary plants whenever breakdowns occurred on the Government main transmission lines, the area most affected being the Waihou district. “The Waihou district has been dependent for supply upon the Government 50K.V. line between Horahora and Waikino, and this has been very troublesome during the past year. The Public Woi’ks Department has arranged to build a new 50 K.V. line from the half-way house to Paeroa and to re-arrange the line from halfway house back to Horahora. This work is to be completed from Horahora to Waihou sub-station early in the next milking season, and the remainder of the work in a very short period thereafter. This in itself will materially improve the service in the Waihou section, but other factors will make for still greater assurance. Power from Arapuni. “The first *unit of 15,000k.w. capacity at Arapuni should be supplying power to the lines before the end of this month, which is about three months earlier than the departmental officers expected last year, and is evidence of the good work they have done. The second and third units should be supplying at intervals of about three months later sucessively. A fourth similar unit-has been ordered by the department, but it will probably be not less than two to two and a-half years before this can be' operating. The supply from Arapuni will obviate the long delays which occurred during the past year owing to the necessity of paralleling supplies from McLaren’s Falls and Grand Junction plants with Horahora when an interruption occurred. Feeders at Kopu. “In the northern portion of the board’s area improvements in supply have been effected by installing two llk.v. feeders across the river at Kopu, thereby reducing the distance of transmission to the northern end from about 30 miles to about 15 miles. Kerepeehi Sub-station. “Kerepeehi 50k.v. sub-station has been completed, except for the alarm gear, which should be in satisfactory operation almost immediately. Supply generally throughout the areas connected to the Waikino and Kerepeehi feed points was considerably better than obtained in the previous year, and there has been little serious complaint, in spite of the difficulties which existed in the parent supply obtained from the department. Board’s Plantation. “The board’s tree section at Waitakaruru had another 10 acres planted with seedlings this year, and the failures last year were replaced.' The total area now planted is 30 acres, and the number of seedlings about 20,000. The failures in this year’s planting appear to be very few. . Condition of Pole's. Eighty poles were replaced during the past year, compared with 550 replaced during the preceding year. In the 80 poles replaced, however, a number were replaced owing to their being too small for the work when the line was raised to 11,000-volt standare, three were burnt, and one broken by trees. Transformers. “There are 29 more transformers than there are sub-stations, making the total number of transformer stations in operation' 437. The average capacity of the transformers in operation is 25.7 k.v.a., and the average per transformer station 27.5 k.v.a. Included in the 11,000-3300-volt transformers are those used for supplying Thames and Te Aroha boroughs in bulk.”