HYDRO-ELECTRIC POWER.

Taranaki Daily News, 30 November 1918, Page 2

HYDRO-ELECTRIC POWER.

OUTLINE OP SCOPE.

DISTRICT BOARDS CREATED. (By Telegraph.—Special Correspondent.) Wellington. Last Nig'iit. The Electrical Power Hoards Bill, introduced yesterday, provides for the constitution of electric power districts on 11 petition sinned by not less t}i,:m oiic-l'ourtli of the ratepayers. Each district will have an electric power board, elected on the parliamentary franchise, containing from five to twelve members. The chairman mav be paid up to £2OO n, rear.

Tkese boards are to have borrowing powers, within limits, may levy special rates to cover deficits on the working rates, which will be collected by the local bodies on behalf of the power boards.

Each board, with the consent of the Governor-General, will 'have power to acquire and control water rights, erect plant, huy power in bulk from the Government or other producer, erect transmission lines, and sell electricity within' its own district and its outer areas.

The Government, upon giving twelve months' notice, may purchase the boards' works at a valuation, no compensation being paid for goodwill. If a hoard is guilty of inexcusable delay in carrying out the work entrusted to it, the Governor-General may assume control.

iTOIt THE NORTH ISLAND.

FULLER DETAILS. Tire report of the Chief Electrical Engineer (Mr W. Parry) on hydroelectric development was presented to the House on Wednesday by the Minister for Public Works, who explained that it dealt chiefly with the North Island. When the first Slats scheme was undertaken at Lake Coleridge, for the supply of electricity in Canterbury, it had been understood that if the scheme was it success, the nex't step would he the provision of power for Wellington and Auckland. The Lake Coleridge had been an entire success, financially and otherwise, and t::e Engineer had reported now regarding the measures that were necessary for the supply of power In the Xorth Island.

The scheme provides for the development of three sources of power, Mangaho, Waiknremoana and Arapuni, with the reservation that if the construction of a dam at Arapuni is found to be impracticable the station will he placed at Aratiatia. The Engineer recommends that in the interests of national economy and production the scheme should he planned in such a manned and on such a scale that a supply of power shall he available with the eo-operation of tho local authorities for every householder in the Xorth Island, or for any industry requiring- the supply of power temporarily or otherwise, for main line electrification, light railways, eoal and other mines, for winding, pumping, ventilating, smelting, and for any other purpose.

In order to provide for those requirements a total sub-station load is 130,000 horse-power is ueee-savy, requiring a plant capacity at the main power stations of 160,000 horse-power, allocated as follows: 00,00 h.p. at Arapuni, 40,000 h.p. at Waikaremoana, and 24,000 h.p. at Manga'hao. This provision is ample for ordinary developments, but not such extraordinary developments as have taken place in Tasmania. The sources wiil provide additional power which may he developed later as required. The system of transmission proposed, radiating from twenty-nine sub-stations, will ensure a supply of power to the whole of the North, Island. The total capital expenditure is estimated at ,€7,~>'.>!i.-141, including interest during construction, working capital, and financial assistance to power users and local authorities. It is pointed out, that the whole expenditure is recoverable in from,, six to seven years in coal only, productive power in increased and economy secured, country districts are settled and closer settlement accelerated, whilst at t'ne same time the undertaking hj; self-supporting after a reasonable interval Tor development and growtii. The Engineer estimates that the annual charges will require an average return of £9.5 per horse-power of sub-station load, which return should be easily secured. A similar scheme for the South Island is under consideration, but the details fnave not been worked out. The outlines of the South Island scheme are simple. Briefly it would consist of a system of power stations, all linked together; starting from Lake Colerid«e, this power station would be linked up on the north to a power station in the Marlborough district and to Westhmd, and in the south to a power-house intermediate between the present Waipori power-house and Lake Coleridge; this would in turn be linked to the Dunedin Corporation's plant at Waipori, and Waipori to a power-house in Southland. The inclusive cost would be, if anything, less than the North Island scheme.

llr Parry' rotors to (lie world-wide recognition of lite fact that, the provisional' cheap ami abundant power is..» highly important function of the State. He quotes w!i:at has been done in other countries ■ and say that Saw Zealand, now at tlie outset of its career as a nation, has a unique opportunity of securing tlio utmost possible elliciency for all time by developing its water-power on such "a scale and by providing - for eucli a far-reaching, system of,distribution that, electrical power shall become available to every house-holder throughout trio Dominion and available at any point where circumstances require the. application of power. Experience m the country districts of Canterbury has shown the convenience and utility of electricity on the farms and its.effect in lessening the drudgery of farm life and increasing production, especially m dairying districts. Lake Coleridge power llvas stimulated industrial development in Canterbury in a marked manner. Mr Parrv mentions the woodpulp industry, electro-chemical ami electro-metallurgical industries, fleet' - " fica.tion ot main railways and suburban railways, and the construction of light railways in the agricultural districts. He foresees extensive use of electricity in mining. The three main tforth Island generating stations, Mangahao. t-ake Waikaramoana and Arapuni Gorge, are described in some detail. Mr Parry states that the Mangaliroo station is almost ideally situated for the supply of the Wellington district, as it is within a few miles of the centre of gravity.

of the load; so also is Waikaramoana very favorably situated for the supply of the East Coast district.

Arapuni, or alternately Aratiatia, is rather far south for the most efficient sup; of the Auckland district, but sin. iiuigahao is unfortunately rather smai. i'nr the ultimate requirements of Weli!:i,:;t.oii and Taranaki, which will later have to augment their supply from sources further north, the Waikato stations are particularly wellsituated. A search for a suitable aim economical source in. the Taranaki district has proved fruitless. Smaller developments are possible at comparatively great expense, and it has been found that the Taranaki district can be more economically and better served by transmission from Arapuni and Mangahao. Mr Parry suggests the taking over of the Waihi Company's plant, which is working only to half its capacity. If the plant were taken over by the Government and lines built into Hamilton the balance of the available power would be absorbed there and in the mining districts along the transmission, line.

Mr Parry estimates that the works provided for in the scheme will take ten years to complete. The initial expenditure on headworks would be heavy, but tlio plant would only be installed as required to meet the growth of the load. The average rate of expenditure would be about £700,000 per annum. Tho estimated capital expenditure per horse-power does not exceed the expenditure per horse-power on the Lake Coleridge undertaking, and it may be inferred, therefore, that the financial result will be satisfactory. The capital charges for interest, depreciation and sinking fund at 7£ per cent will amount to £547,723 per annum. The . wording expenses should not exceed £220,000 per annum, making a total annual expenditure of £707,728, requiring an average return of £5.9 per horse-power per annum of maximum load. The last year's return on the Lake Coleridge expenditure amounted to £5 per horse-power, but this return is influenced adversely by, the predominence of tho concentrated city load over the more diversified general I supply. It is anticipated that in the [ larger scheme with a bigger range of distribution and a greater variety in the use of power, a return of at least 1 £0 per horse-power can easily be obtained at the same rates as those prevailing in the Clvristchurch district. Referring to the estimated capital expenditure of £45.03 per h.p. of plant, the engineer states that this rate is somewhat less than the present inclusive expenditure upon the Lake Coleridge undertaking, which is about £SO per h.p., and as the success of the Canterbury undertaking is already assured, there is every reason to believe that the larger development will be a financial success. The significance of the figure may be appreciated by comparing it with the cost of a steam plant. The figure mentioned is not an uncommon one when all expenditure incidental to the installation of the steam plant is included. It would require at least one million tons of coal per annum to do the work of the proposed hydro-electric plant if burned under existing conditions. Coal would therefore bo conserved to that extent, and if its value is assessed at £1 per ton, the sum of £1,000,000 per annum invested at 1% per cent would amount in seven years to £7,000,000, a sum which is slightly in excess of the capital required. The total capital charges, including interest, sinking fund and depreciation of 1\ per cent, will amount to seveneighths of a penny in the pound on the present unimproved value of land in the North Island. Experience at Lake Coleridge has shown that even at very low rates for power, comparing favorably with rates charged in any part of | the world, sufficient revenue is obtained at an early stage of development to meet all capital charges as well as working expenses, whilst at the same time values are enhanced, production is increased and the expenses of production are dismissed.