BRITISH PLANT FOR POWER STATIONS

Rotorua Morning Post, Issue 5298, 10 January 1947, Page 5

BRITISH PLANT FOR POWER STATIONS

(Press Assn-

TO A'R'RTVE SOON WILL COST MORE THAN £500,000 '

-Rec. 9.80 p.m.)

LONDON, Jan. 9." Hydro-electric equipment for the Karapiro, Waitaki, ancl J'ekapo power stations, which has already been shipped or will be despatched by British makers within the next 18 months, is valued at more than £500,000. All the equipment for the installation of the first of the three 30,000 kilowatt units at Karapiro has now left Britain, and should arrive in the Dominion in fime to be assembled hefore the New Zealand winter. Alternators for the other units have also been despatched, and it is expected that the water turbines for these units will follow at three-monthly intervals. In addition to the Karapiro plant, ihe equipment for the (fifth unit r.ecessary to complete the Waitaki station and the single 25, '000 kilowatt unit at Tekapo are also under construction. The delivery date of the Waitaki turbine will be September of this year. The equipment for Tekapo will be ready In the spring of 1948. British companies feel regret they did not secure the contracts for the heavy plant for the five-unit Maraetai scheme, bnt recognise at present that they are tendering under difficulties. The turbines for this scheme will he made in the United Staves and Canada. Britain will make some of the subsidiary equipment. Two auxiliary turbines ordered for Maraetai have already been shipped. Thq^ delivery of the 3000 railway wagons ordered last year by the New Zealand Government, is expected to be completed by the end of 'his year. Some of the pattern wagons are nearly ready. The wagons will"' be assembled in New Zealand. Five thousand tons of rails and 10*30 tons of fasteners recently ordered from Belgium have also been despatched.