Clyde power project nears completion

Press, 8 December 1988, Page 36

Clyde power project nears completion

PA Dunedin The Clyde Power project is now more than 90 per cent complete, with only about 50,000 cubic metres of concrete to be placed to enable lakefill to begin. The Clyde powerhouse is substantially complete, and most of the generating equipment is in place. The Works Corporation’s Clyde project engineer, Elwyn Hughes, said it was expected Lake Dunstan would be filled during the latter part of next year, with power capable from the project near the end of the year. The project is being constructed for the Electricity Corporation. The Clyde dam will be the largest concrete gravity dam in the country. When complete it will be able to produce 432 megawatts of power from its four generating turbines.

Over a working year Clyde will be capable of producing more than 1900 gigawatts, which is about the same as the total year’s consumption of Christchurch and Dunedin.

The powerhouse is now fully enclosed and shift work by Works Project Services has now ended. Workers are now engaged only on day work.

More than half of the dam construction blocks were now at crest level, Mr Hughes said. Work began on the project in 1977, with the Clutha River diverted in 1982. For the last three years the workforce has been at a peak of more than 1100, which has brought more than $500,000 a week in wages into the area. The workforce would reduce substantially next year, Mr Hughes said. Already Works had reduced numbers by more than 130.

Work off the dam site is well advanced in preparation for lake filling. Lake Dunstan will cover about 26.5 sq km, stretching 40km from the dam up the Cromwell Gorge and north beyond Cromwell over the Lowburn Flats.

The Cromwell township mining works are drawing to a close in the old commercial area which will be flooded.