AGREAT CHANCE

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 3040, 29 March 1917, Page 7

AGREAT CHANCE

i NITROGEN AT lid. A POUND V AIR ORCHISTON'S PROPOSALS SUPPORTED I '.; Referring to the' proppsrd of •Mr ■'■■ E r °ri w " tiliSe th ° Waior P°™r, ;. ,-. .W the Western Sounds of Otago fo \..-,itlie extraction of nitrogen from tb. 'air (recently published), tho-'followim ' '.■.'•" »re. : extracts - : .from the "Scientifi. ■ ■■■.'. -. lAmerican" of January i>9, 1916;—. . V - ! 'Some years ago' a commercial fan ( . •■■ .. jtory tor the extraction, .frf nitrogei jtrom the air was established in 3Sor ■.-..-.; way,.■■and it has. proved n-rwnaikabl <ommer,cial succoss > tf "Norway couli '.-■■■-.,,. iJ-endor the; process remunerative am ■i successful, certainly could-d iikewise. That was the Teuton , a rgu jment, and, withput auy iurtiicr dda ■the process was taken in hand. An ether' motive governed- this "develop , inlent. " Nitric acid was in acute demam Sor the manufacture of hijrh explosives tc i C i. O I]e d . or ivod in vast quantitie it the extraction of nitn ;cn from th' fair wore taken up. The lcidim;"Ger ; man company devoted to tliis , firoccs ; .-• placed orders fon the speedy eroctioi jand equipment of' several extensive in ; . etallations. Thp contracts •for' tm nitrio acid producing 'establishment! . . ,yero placed with the-Allgememe Eiec ..-■. ' tricitats Cesellschaft; of Berlin, >H1( another concern placed a furiiur con ',* rra t with the same (Tganisatioii foi She equlpnierit of'an elccti-ioal ~ sti..t:oi which ranks far and away as the pmgle of its' character ever car hed.oQt in Germany. Ahothei plaiii WhicJi isfarmore ambftioas andcora pr^iiensivo- is'a}so under iv.-iy: :. ■....". ■ "Some years ago a company wa! '..'■' established to provide the-i ; ity c'f Ber, liri with electricity for -lighting, heat ■•:■■ ing; : and: power. The .i:oucern antici ■ plated, that; upon iho espiry of th( initial term,' it .Vbuld receive a" re mewal of tho concession for a'-iurthei Slumber of years, and to this end il . • (acquired extensive lif.uit'e fields ceai [BitterfeW, in,;ordor 'b be in closi proximity to an abundance of .-lieaj , fuel for generating 'he rcfjnisiie cur- .■■■;., rent'. Buji ttie civic authorities Otcidcc , jto exerqieQ their, option lur! 10 buy ci;l jthe.priykte'eompany. ■ T.'huof those>ii it appealed tir if the' lig ~ jniteiield investment would: prove 1 .: .. jwhite elephant.. B>:t-the war mvrstec jihe..situation with''it ;totally -iliiFeronj aspect. The ■'-■ Governnip.nt demendet ■ ' ■ ~ past quantities of fertiliser for-the sat . Ssfaction of tho farmers and,tnick e.aroep produce raisors, as well as nitrk .acid.for explosives'.;. The private coin . was approached and urged tt v assist, in meeting the national rieces. ■<■ isity'by embarking upon tho "fixatidr ;«f nitrogen'.! process.' With tho monej received the Berlin muriicipalitj as tho prico of the electrical iindprtaTc- ; *ns>. original concessionaires laic * M 0 ,"? % huge plant/ upon tho lignite . x (fields, the whole of which, extending ■ bver'..2aOO acres, 'has. heen;purchased, (Hero aro sufficient'.'supplies of cheaj fuel to keop tho works, going for some '. thydy years at fullVpressure. , ■■• !"A (subsidiary company, has been in--7 Jeugiirated to carry out the'actual worl , «l£ "fixing tho nitrogen"- withdrawr ' ifroim tho atmosphere, and this concerr has contracted with the electric gonerffltmg company to buy snflicient curreni Ho enable 66,000,000 poundsW nitroger >to bo extracted .in this manner pei Binnurrt at an average cost of l}d. pei iwund for fifteen yearsj with .the optipr Jto extend-the agreement for. a furthei Jten years.' The initial section of the techemo has been completed, and has |been attended with such' conspicuous Vjuccess that the plant is to bo extended 5n order to ensure double tho yearly output of fertiliser.", . ' •■'•'• '. ' ' Mr!.Orchiston claims that under the ■■'.. ; jnost favourable conditions it will cost . JtHe Germans twenty times as 'much . . if or their power obtained from .lignite . 'ss it would cost for the equivaleni power'from some of the waterfalls ir ''■ J 'the Western Sounds'. In the . extraction'of nitrogen from, the air, pbwei Ss the all-important item, and altnougl labour-in , Germany may be less.thar Jialf that of New Zealand, this woulc ' lie. far short of being an adequate set <off against the cheaper.power. , Sonio'7so,ooo h.p. can be obtainec T)y diverting the 'Tβ Anau Lake h] ineans of a five-milo tunnel to Georgf Sound; Although- this appears, to b< a.huge undertaking, the cost per h'.p ;-.--. obtained would bo very-low comparet ■with the average, cost of water power! available elsewhere, with" the additionn advantage that; the' power wo'lW b< .available alongside a deep-water■ har- . . .bour; '" : -; : -v. ■:;.■,.:•■>•, -:■'....-• .-. .....