New Caledonia's Big New Yate Dam

Turns A Mountain Into An Island

Vew Caledonia's £10,000,000 Yate dam is now virtually finished, filled pacity and at work. And the whole job has taken less than four years.

Vhe first two of four turbines began supplying current to Noumea last ’st, when the dam was filled to three-quarters of its capacity. When jht followed it didn’t look as if the dam would soon be completely but New Caledonia’s January cyclone fixed that, and now huge rises of country are permanently under water. n he new Yate road skirts a gigantic lake along the course of the Yate % and parts of the old road, and several bridges are flooded. The top re (both were taken by Fred Dunn), shows portion of the lake caused e filling of the dam. The island in the centre was once a mountain top.

Hcture below shows the circular construction of the dam. Water is sent igh a long tunnel in a mountain and into the power house, which, • running at its peak, will furnish 400 million kilowatt hours per year se of Noumea and the smelting industry. 7 he smelters will import less coal from, Australia as a result.