Work Ahead Of Schedule On Benmore Project

Press, Volume C, Issue 29402, 3 January 1961, Page 10

Work Ahead Of Schedule On Benmore Project

Work on the Benmore hydroelectric scheme is well ahead of schedule. The 700 workers at Otematata were working a nine-hour, one-shift day when the job closed down for the holiday period on Christmas Eve. Estimates that 1100 would be employed on the scheme in 1961 are not likely to be proved correct, according to workers. It is believed that two shifts will not be worked when the job begins again on January 11. At present between 3000 and 4000 persons are living at Otematata. There were 1080 children at the Christmas party. Work is still being concentrated on the base for the giant earth dam which will be the dominant feature of the project It will have a crest length of 2000 feet » maximum structural height of 360 feet (hydraulic height of 30S feet) and will contain 16,000,000 cubic yards of earth and rock fill.

The construction of the earth dam is expected to take at least three years, and could be longer depending on the availability of equipment. Recent shipments of equipment for Benmore through Lyttelton, comprising mainly earth-moving machinery, have been estimeted to be worth more than £500,000. First power from the Benmore project is scheduled to be generated in 1965-66 and final output will be 540.000 kilowatts—more than the combined capacity of the two largest stations at present in New Zealand (Roxburgh, 320,000 kw, and Maraetai, 180,000 kw). Estimated cost of the Benmore project is more then £36.000.000. Greatest interest at. Otematata. amongst both Ministry of Works staff and workers, is Government pokey on the proposed Cook strait power cable. If the cable scheme is adopted, it should ensure putting into practice the plan to establish a chain of power stations in the Waitaki basin to give a total output of 1,500,000 kw from Tekapo, Patterson. Maryburn. Pukaki. Ohau, Benmore, Waitangi and Waitaki.

The envisaged plan includes the 105.000 kw power station at Waitaki, the 25,000 kw station at Tekapo and the lake control schemes at Pukaki and Tekapo. already in operation, and the Benmore project of approximately 500 000 kw.

The remaining power potential of approximately 850.000 kw would be possible by developing two large power stations at Ohau bridge above Benmore, and at

Waitangi, below Benmore, and by three smaller stations at Patterson. Maryburn and Pukaki. This would provide a decade of work in the Waitaki basin. However, it is known that the previous Government had misgivings about probable unemployment if the Waikato river power scheme was shelved in favour of the Cook strait cable and Waitaki basin plan.