But in true ' storage' situations, where the purpose of the facility is to hold grain for an extended period of time, it is generally the case that the storage structures account for the largest component of the total cost. It is also the quickest to build, and thus provides an ideal solution for emergency storage purposes.
Operating costs can be high, and are to a large extent dependent upon the local cost of labour.
In terms of cost per tonne, flat bottomed tank storage is generally cheaper than sheds or warehouses, even for stores of 20,000 to 30,000 tonnes capacity. There are few instances where unit volumes larger than this are justified, bearing in mind the difficulties of segregating grain in warehouse type stores. The extra costs associated with building sealed storage facilities are negligible if they are properly designed.