NITRATES FROM THE AIR

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 2938, 25 November 1916, Page 11

NITRATES FROM THE AIR

UTILISING OUR WASTE WATER POWER A BIG IDEA .lbs Chief Engineer of Telegraphs in Jew Zealand (Mr., J, Orchiston) is a In addition to being highly qualified for tho important position he holds, ho is a geologist of some standing, ana is well versed, in; botany. i)or some .little time past ; ho has interested himself in tho progress that has beon mado in other countries in tho ■extraction of nitrogen from the air. lho cheapest method of producing power for that work is by utilising tho forces of nature, viz., by water power. Thus ono grea,t element is used indirectly to recruit a highly valuable product | from another element for tho .benefit of mankind. Only recently . Mr. Onjhiston read thai iu the first two years of the war Germany had increased her output of nitrates (from tho air) froin 20,000 tons to 840,000 tons, providing in this manner a most valuable ,nad for the nation to live within '.itself. ■Mr, Orchiston, who has long been inVterostedi in the water power question in Now Zealand, believes that there is Do other country iu the world offering Isuch eoonomio facilities for tho production of nitrates from the air as New Zealand, and has illustrated his con-. . tent-ion by pointing oui! the enormous !water-power that goes unutilised in tie West Coast Sounds, in close prox- , imity to perfectly-protected deep-water ' harbours, where the largest steamers :eould berth to receive their cargoes of rnitrates almost alongside the works that produce them. . _ On this subject' Mr. Orchiston recently wrote a letter, which appeared in the London "Times" Engineering .Supplement of September 29. Tho subject is interesting and fraught with valuable possibilities (as . the demand for nitrates, is limitless). The letter is Rs.follows:— : _ "Sir, —The article headed' 'Nitrates from the Air—German Progress,' on ■page 108 of the Engineering Supplement of June 80, indicates the- .wide •field which' is opening up for the production of nitrates. Where easily developed water, power in available in accessible localities, it must be moro economical than any other mean b for the production of the necessary power. Hitherto New Zealand has been greatly handicapped in manufacturing enterprises, owing partly to lack of efficient . .and ; reliable labour, andl the fear of labour troubles generally ; hence only industries relying, ,laTgely roil natural products, where . labour is not the chief item in production, appeal to: the_ investor, -on acoonnt of the fact that in the pro-clnotion-or nitrates.from the> air, labour plays a secondary part to /that of the power employed, which, if it be from a pimanent water supply, involves little expenditure outside: of .the capital charges and sinking fund. ' "The: South Island of Now Zealactf is riohly endowed with magnificent water powers, many of thom coming right down, to the water's edge in. the sounds .on the south-west coast. A reference to the map will indicate that these sounds are completely landlocked with, deep water throughout. Water powers ranging up to 40,000 horse-power can be obtained at an expenditure of from £5 to £10 per horse-power for. the hydraulic development, and in many cases no transmission lines would, be needed, as the power station could.be -located alongside deep water. Heads ranging from 500 ft. to 1000 ft. or over are procurable, so that the oonduits, piping, water-wheels, foundations, .etc., need bo only of minimum ■ dimensions for the output developed. _In some cases less than a mile of piping is all .that would be. required to ~ bring in a head, of 1000 ft! - with a constant flow ranging up to_ 500. cubic feet per second, fed from glaciers. By the construction of a tunnel about five miles in length, .mostly through granite, the whole of /the discbarge of tlio : Te Anau Lake, covering an area of 135 square miles, ieould be diverted to one of these sounds, giving an.effeptivo head of nearly 600 ft., and .a, constant discharge exceeding 12,000_ oubio- feet per second. Few countries can so easily provide a power of sucb dimensions (approximately 700,000 h.p.) at the edge of' a deep .water harbour. There are numerous other water powers available inland, Tanging up to 100,000 h.p., which could bo developed at very low cost; but tbey are at present not conveniently located tfor transport purposes, and_ would injTolve -fairly long 'transmission lines! waterfalls are located on Crown lands, . a_nd before action, could be taken <for their utilisation, a permit; would shave to.be obtained from the Dominion .Government, who would no doubt give a - .willing ear to any proposal which would ibe the means of bringing capital to the oountry and the development of new industries.—Tours faithfully, J. Orchis/ton, M.1.E.E., Chief Engineer of Telegraphs." In the courso of a conversation on tthe subject, Mr. Ordiiston said that Jie aid.not know that suoh <a big project was one that the Government should tackling, nor did ha put it forth as such, .but it was one that the Government might think it,worth while ■to foster,. should the time, ever arrive when a concession to erect works for tho purpose mentioned was ; applied for. It should be pointed out that nitrogen puld bo obtained from'tlje air anywhere, but the cost of 1 obtaining tho lisame is the point to he considered, and big water power in close proximity to ( a fafo placc where the sbips could'load •the nitrates^is tho argument so very Tnuch . in favour of either -George or Milford Sound. Even', if the Government were to grant such a concession, say 111 return for 2}' per cent, of tho output, the Dominion would richly benefit. J '