ELECTRIC POWER

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume 77, 17 October 1942, Page 4

ELECTRIC POWER

SUPPLY FROM COBB ABILITY TO MEET DIVIRK I S NEEDS REPORT TO WAIMEA POWER BOARD The question of the ability of tlie Cobb river hydro electric scheme to meet the power requirements of the district if Mai iborough wa,. included was raised at the September meeting of the Waimea Electric Power Board. The engineer 'Mr N. A. Andrews ) was then instructed to discuss the subject with the District Electrical Engineer «Mr F. B Mackenzie) and to furnish a fuil report at the next meeting of the | board. The board met at Richmond yes | terday when the engmcei .-nlmutted the following report: ! "Since tht: hoard's la. i meeting 1 have j discussed ihis matter very fully with j the District Electrical Engineer. Mr j Mackenzie. "After examining the figute*. s«|» plied by him and taking into a«j count the loading of the cistriet, inI eluding Marlborough, I can only agree with him that nee the Cobb river is turned into the pipe line there can be no quest<on of a shortage of power. The Department in- ( tends to construct at the eotnmence- , met t «». low temporal y dam, giving sufficient storage to enable water 1 accumulated at night to l>e used during the day load. “The minimum flow recorded in th< Cobb river was nineteen cusecs, ant Mi Mackenzie shows that with this flov the continuous clady average outpu from the power plant will be almos 4000 k.w. on a 60 j>cr cent, load factoi “If the output of the Brooklyn am Pr Pu plants at their lowest period] together with the Stoke diesel stalior are added to the Cobb output, a load c 5000 k.w. can be earned during th driest periods over which rainfall test have been taken. “Guarantees given to the electricit department by supply authorities in th district at the end of the third yea from the commencement of supply ai as follows: Waimea Electric Po\v< • Board, including N.C.C., 1600: Goidc | Bay Electric Power Board. 600 Goidc ’ | Bay Cement Works, 1000: total. 3200. “The maximum demand of the di; ’ j trict at the end of the third year t [ j estimated by supply authority enginee: is as follows: Waimea Electric Powi i Board. 1600 k.w .; Nelson City Counc 1 1200: Golden Bay Electric Power Boar . j 700: Golden Bay Cement Works. 100 1 j total. 4400. ; ' “Allowing for a period ol three yea s 1 to lapse before the dam is compleU ; | it will be seen that under the wor I possible conditions there is a safe m a 1 gin between tlie estimated load of 45 I k.w. and the output of 5000 k.w. j “If power is supplied to the Mai ’ ! bvjugh area it should be remember 1 that the present generating plants . that district will be retained and usi to assist the area as a whole, so th t even if supply is given to Marlboroui j there does not appear to be any pc 7 sibility of a shortage and under t y worst possible conditions ample tir f is available for the construction of t mam dam.” 7 After a brief discussion the repc s was adopted.