Mexicans Seeking Knowledge Of Geothermal Power Plants During Visit To Wairakei

Taupo Times, Volume XIV, Issue 58, 27 July 1965, Page 2

Mexicans Seeking Knowledge Of Geothermal Power Plants During Visit To Wairakei

Experience and information at present being gathered by three Mexican engineers at the Wairakei geothermal power project will be used in the development of a similar generating station at Mexicali, in north-west Mexico, close to the United States border. The visitors, who are working under the direction of the project engineer, Mr A. C. L. Fooks, are Messrs G. R. Fernandez, a mechanical engineer, and H. Alonso, a geological engineer, both from Mexicali, and Mr J. Guiza, a chemical engineer from Mexico City.

The visitors explainea that there are 108 thermal areas in different parts of Mexico and oue, at Pathe, near Mexico City, is already being used for geothermal power generation where there is a 3500 k.w. pilot station. The geothermal area at Mexicali, producing wet steam, is similar to that at Wairakei. Mr Alonso said it was because of this, and the faet that Wairakei was the most advanced wet steam geothermal power generating station in the world, that they came to New Zealand. While at Wairakei they are making a study of what has been achieved in development, current practices, perusing scientific and engineering papers and doing field work. They expect to remain at Wairakei for about two months and then go to Wellington for discussions with senior officers of the Ministry of Works, D.S.I.R. and the New Zealand Electricity Department. All facilities of these departments in connection with their work in New Zealand are being made available to them. When they return to Mexico, they will make their reports and recommendations to the general director of the Mexican Government's Federal Power Commission. "The information we are gathering in New Zealand will be of the greatest value in the development of geothermal power in Mexicali and other thermal areas", said Mr Alonso. "It is a wonderful opportunity and we shall be able to eliminate associated problems which have already been over come by New Zealand engineers and scient-

ists." The visitors will return for a brief check-up at Wairakei after their Wellington discussions and, later, will leave for Mexico via Hawaii, where they will study vulcanology, and San Francisco, where they will visit The Geysers, a United States 28 m.w. geothermal power station. Their visit to New Zealand was arranged for the Mexican Federal Power Commission by the Ministry of Works.