BENMORE'S COST

Press, Volume C, Issue 29513, 13 May 1961, Page 9

BENMORE'S COST

£lom Saving Possible

“The Press" Special Service DUNEDIN, May 12. A saving of more than £lom on the original estimated cost of the 540.000-kilowatt hydroelectric scheme at Benmore, 136.4 m, may be made if the present rate of saving is continued. The final cost could be about £2sm. The scheme is 35 per cent, complete, and to April this year the cost has been £8.5 million. Should the savings be maintained, the project will be built at less than 0.25 d a unit, compared with the estimated cost of 0.29 d a unit. This -will be far the cheapest power produced in New Zealand. The capital cost of the project could be as low as £4B 3s a kilowatt, compared with the estimate for Matahina of £ll4 a kilowatt.

The capital cost was also reduced by the decision to increase the capacity of th» station from 480,000 kw to 540,000 kw. Several factors have been responsible for the saving to date, and perhaps the biggest has been the speed with which the project is being pushed ahead. This has been possible because of good weather, harmony on the project, good types of material, equipment and a favourable site. It could be claimed that the project was over-esti-mated in relation to cost when it was approved, but this is not supported. When Benmore was investigated, costs of this scheme, together with possible other schemes in the area using concrete dams, were pared to a minimum so that the most economical was finally decided.