AUXILIARY POWER

Sun (Auckland), Volume 1, Issue 89, 6 July 1927, Page 13

AUXILIARY POWER

ORDER FOR PLANT AUCKLAND’S ELECTRICITY BRIDGING THE GAP (THE SUN’S Parliamentary Reporter.) WELLINGTON, To-day. Y\ r ITH a view to supplying more power, bridging the gap between the present requirements of the northern district to be served by the Arapuni scheme, and the time when the scheme comes i*to operation, the Public Works Department is on the point of placing an order in England for an auxiliary plant to relievethe peak loads in winter, particularly at Auckland. This plant will be placed at Penrose, alongside the present sub-station, so that it can be connected up with the present main system. This decision is the outcome of the conference held at Hamilton recently, at which expectations of the next two years of the various power boards interested were investigated, and becanv necessary for two reasons—the delay in the contract, and the likely growth of the load throughout the whole district during the time people were waiting for the Arapuni load to come in. Auckland, which is the chief user interested, was notified that a plant would be secured to carry the load, and a suitable: machine of the Diesel type is to be secured from the many offers of new and old plant offered for quick delivery. Mr. F. JV. Furkert, chief engineer to the department, declares that this plant will be required only during th** winter peak-loads. The progress of the contractors had been so disappointing, however, that something had to be done. Auckland had been promised Arapuni power for March next year, which was thought to be a good margin, but it looked now as if double the nine months’ margin would haw to be asked for. The plant is to be in three units, so that it can be used elsewhere in separate units or combined if require i otherwise. It will i be kept as a standby.