HYDRO-ELECTRIC POWER.

Taranaki Daily News, 11 January 1921, Page 5

HYDRO-ELECTRIC POWER.

FORTUNATE CANTERBURY. INCREASING THE SUPPLY. When the duplication of the existing power unit at Lake Coleridge is completed the power available wifi be 16,000 h.p., and work will then be started on a new tunnel, which will provide a further 20,000 h.p., or 36,000 h.p. in all. This will place Canterbury, from the Clarence to the Waitaki, in the position of having one horse-power to every five of population, which is the ration attained in the more fully-devel-oped portions of the United .States and Canada, such as Ontario and Manitoba. These figures were given by Mr. L. Birks, chief Government electrical engineer, in reply to a question as to whether the Waimakariri should be harnessed as an alternative supply for Canterury. Mr. Birks has suggested that with 36,000 h.p. from Lake Coleridge, following the diversion of the Harper River into the lake, there would be no necessity for the headworks at Waimakariri. Mr. Birks said the fifth power unit at Lake Coleridge was installed, and the construction of the pipe line was well in hand. He hoped that the extra power would be available soon. The sixth power unit was on order. Satisfactory progress was being made with the concrete foundations for the head gates in the Harper diversion, and a new tunnel and power-house were to be provided to supply the extra 20,000 h.p. The price of spot copper, Mr. Birks added, was down to £73 a ton, as compared with £B4 a few weeks ago, and £lOO to £llO during the war. It was nearly back to pre-war prices, which was very important for electrical development, since copper was probably 20 or 25 per cent, of the total capital expenditure. But hydro-electrical development generally depended on the. price of labour, cement, copper, machinery, poles, and insulators. These items accounted for mere than nine-tenths of the total expenditure.