PROBLEMS OF MANGAHAO.

Shannon News, 25 March 1927, Page 3

PROBLEMS OF MANGAHAO.

SCHEME LOADED TO CAPACITY. UNEXPECTED DEMANDS BEING . MET. v The problems of the Mangahao ..hy-dro-electric scheme, and the 'manner in which it is meeting unexpected-de-mands, in spite of the-fact that- the undertaking is not yet completed, were described by. Mr. C. J. McKenzie,.,engineer in chief and Under-Secretary of the Public Works Department, iii the course of an interview with- an Auckland reporter. At the time Mr.-McKen-zie was visiting Auckland in connection with the conference of the Society of Civil Engineers. He is desirous of, removing some erroneous impressions that have got abroad in regard' to -the scheme, and it would appear from this observations (says the Star).. 1 hat,*-far from building a power plant which,has been a failure, the department is to be congratulated on owning a power development scheme which, at such* an - early stage, is loaded to capacity, and. thus, placed in a position to- obtain, an adequate return on its investment,. “In the first case, Mangahao is part of a general scheme of power supply, which will ultimately embrace three main inter-connected generating., * staiions. Mangahao, Arapuni and . Waikaremoana, ’ ’ explained Mr McKenzie at the outset. “The department’s'reports have always stated that Mangahao has a capacity of 24,000 kvay-based on the load factor of 50. per . cenf,*.,-So. far the scheme has not been completed in that the third dam, which is. igart of the original scheme, is still'birder construction. When finished this*'dam* will increase the available storage Capacity by about 300 per cent. .. eame time, it has always been recognised that even then Mangahao. 4 assisted may in exceptionally" dry periods of' a few days be unable to p’fdduce :iioi e than 18,000 kva. The department ■ knowing the limitations of the- scheme, until completed.and linked; ut> other two sources, has made, provision in its contracts for purchasing pb'Wer from supply authorities who have- efficient steam generating plants. /Under this arrangement,” he add.ed; .“pojver has been purchased from the Wellington City Council, the Palmerston North Borough Council, and the WartgaiiuiRangitikei Electric' Power Board' 5 or supply into its system at various times.

“As a matter of fact,,although.,tho period since Christmas'has been rremarkably dry in the Wellington district, there has been absolutely no reason to restrict supplies of electricity, iu any way. The department. throughout has been supplying to the various power boards, its consumers, the ivhole of their requirements, and has actually been supplying to some purchasers as much as fifty per cent, in excess of the amounts it is 'under an. obligation

to supply in accordance with its conbracts. In addition to this, the station

itself —despite the fact that the third dam is not yet finished —has been Able to supply power almost equal to -..that which it is designed to provide even when the dam is completed. “The main fact in conned ion with Mangahao is that, although the load has developed at such a rapid/ rate, not one of the consumers of electricity

has in any way had to go short. The river’s summer floods have been' 1 ob-

served continually since 1915, andf although the past season has ' been unusually dry, ’’ pointed out Mr* ;<McKenzie in conclusion, “at no time.has

the flow receded to the figure on.\yhieh 'lie original spheme was based. ’’