OUR COAL SUPPLY.

Grey River Argus, 18 February 1927, Page 2

OUR COAL SUPPLY.

THE EY- PR O DI" CH'S. A discussion took place at the con fcrence of the Gas Institute of New Zealand, on the fuel resources of the Dominion, dealing with the estimated coal resources, the <ieed. tor scientific research with a view to conservation, and the fullest utilisation of all by-pro-ducts, and disclosing the nature of experiments which are being made in all directions. Addresses were given by Dr E. Marsden, permanent secretary to the Department of Bcientifie and Industrial Research, and Dr McLaurin, Dominion Analyst. Dr Alarsden stated that fuel research was important from a national point of view, and was to come before the National Research Council, a committee having been set up, comprising Professor Benham, Dr AlcLaurin, and Professor Evans, to see what wore the problems facing the fuel industry in New Zealand. Although individual members had some very valuable data, it was arranged that the committee should meet the Coal Owners’ Association and the Alines Department to form a constructive programme, after which the question might have* been referred to tnei gas interests. Owing to the mine disasters and other matters, the meeting had been postponed, so he could not indicate the programme likely to be put forward. The fuel question was a national one, and no one aspeev could be considered by itself. It was not merely a question of coal utilisation, but of the production of gas, the utilisation of all by-prducts, and the extent to which they could be used in fertilising, etc. The whole series of industries, coal production, gas, and L?y-products must be considered in relation to each other for economic reasons. NEW ZEALAND’S COAL RESOURCES. Although in England they were said to have supplies of coal to last 600 years, the same could not be said of New Zealand. Mr Morgan and Professor Parke had put forward estimates of coal of bituminous value—optimistic estimates —which seemed to reveal that within fifty years they would be seriously considering their resources of bituminous value. Not that they would have been exhausted, but that more •conomical methods of mining and utilisation would have to tw found, for Hie present methods of using our coal I were extremely wasteful. Probably In the future the consumption of fuel would be rather from the gas obtained from coal and fuel manufactured from by-products. They must obtain the utmost value in heat and other directions from the coal. In the last few years the competition .'■(■tween gas and electricity seemed to have stirred up the gas people to ar. enormous extent. The position had altered greatly in the last five years.) Hlectric stoves had forced the gas comI anies to produce more efficient types of gas stoves. They could not always go by efficiency, however, as sometimes '•fficiency meant less use. The development of hydro-electricity in the long run was not going to mean that less , coal would be used, particularly as com . must bo used through gas. Even in .

Sweden, where hydro-electricity had developed so enormously and was used m industry, it had not restricted the normal expansion of the gas marker. IHe did not think there was any idea that gas would go out. It was neccnsarv that New Zealand coal should he used economically; in other words, used for the development of power, for the use of coal in that way directly or m small units was not economic. Electricity could not supply the total heat required in New Zealand to give power, which in industry was an important factor. In small plants there was room for enormous improvement in efficiency, and in view of the possibilities ot shortage fifty years hence it was ot national concern that the country s r uel should be used economically. BLENDING SHOWS PROMISE. Dr Al’Laurin said the gas regulations ■n Eng’and were made, five years age to help gas companies in the difficulties they had to face, and one object was »o give them a free hand in the matte: of calorific value. The New Zealand Government decided to allow the companies here to fix their own calorific values. By reason of not competing with each other, those in the gas industry wore in the happy position o! being able to discuss matters freely with each other. In the Old Country the question of blending coals had been considered with a view to getting ai improved coke. In New Zealand it seemed to open up a very promising field. The companies here had said they could not get good results from Liverpool coal, this appeared to be due to the swell>n<*. Tins was a matter for trials, but blending with Taupin coal had been experimented with. The Department woul I be glad to hear the results of such experiments in New Zealand. Tie would like to learn why Newcastle coal was largely preferred to New Zealah coals. TRIALS WITH NEW ZEALAND COALS. Air F. W. J. Belton, of Christchurch, said that ho desired to correct the im pression that gas companies were going to lose by increased efficiency and econ omy in coal utilisation. It was hette-* to replae an old cooker with one which consumed less gas, for it pleased the/ customer and left more gas for other purposes. The gas regulations ha I been a boon to them, although some modification' of the legislation was required. The full utilisation of fuel il New Zealand was a step in the righ direction, and the gas industry wa pleased that the work of the Coal Re search branch was being actively tak on up at this early stage. There was need for the increased use of New Zealand coals in gas works, lie had learn ed a good deal about them, and was continuing with the experiments. During the last twelve months they had used entirely New Zealand coal in one section, but the trouble on the West Coast cut off supplies and stopped trials, which were exceedingly promising. Newcastle coal was not so so friable as New Zealand coal, and would . stand stocking for severil years. The

Use of coal opened up the question or eoal blending, and a great deal was being done in America in this direction. For some time Christchurch ha 1 been using 50 per cent of State coal with imported coal, with good results. There had been a slight, drop in carbonisation, but it was advantageous to use it rather than import all Newcastle coat

EXPERIMENTS WITH LIGNITE. Experiments had also been made with lignite, which had a large moisture eon tent, and when used weakened the ammoniacal liquor. But it could be used economically in gas works. Size was an important factor, and provided tiie size was right the moisture in lignite had a beneficial effect on the coke, besides speeding up carbonisation.

There was another aspect in cornice fion with railway work, for there had Ueen talk of us’ng Diesel locomotives. At present only a proportion of -New Zealand coal was used on locomotives. It should be borne in mind that coal tar creosote and other by-products formed excellent fm 1 for Diesel engines The production of creosote ohs from gas works in New Zealand might , easily roneli -100,000 to 500,000 gallonsi a year, and as the industry developed i it could he considerably inci eased. They should not lose sight of any ol those factors which could be brought into use, thus cutting out imported materials. The time was not lar when they would he able to recover the volatile by-products by distillation and .various forms of liquid fuels. NO ATONOPOLTES. It was important from Hie national point of view, he added, that the development of these processes should no! be allowed to get into the hands of the oil companies, who would exploit tnem, but should be in the hands of undei takings, subject to certain Government regulations. The public would then get the benefit of all tne economies am! improvements made, and Hie profits would not .pass into the hands of t’hnir friends in the oil industry. (Hear, hear.) A CRITICAL VIEW. Mr. . Hands, M.A., B.Sc. (Wellington), referred to the new scientific department which had been set up as the result of the report of Sir Frank Heath. It appeared to him that the new Department had been concentrated on agriculture, and secondary industries were very largely likely to be left in the lurch and would not receive that consideration from the Department which they deserved. There was room for the development of the secondary Industries in New Zealand, and the Department should give them a good portion of their attention. lie was no. very optimistic that the new Department would be able to -lo anything ,vcry fundamental in the matter of fuel 1 research. It was a tremendous problem find millions were being spent—and lost —m other countries, and. corporations Were prepared to ■spenTl millions more to solve the great fuel problem looming ahead in the next fifty years.

Mr. G. 11. Collins referred to experiments which had been made in Aucx land with Waikato coal, with good results. They had also been experimenting with Maitland coal until the strike cut off supplies. Dr Alarsden briefly responded .-md .said the Department was interested m manures, nnd in this respect the byproducts of coal were of importance as there was an increasing vogue io add nitrates to manures. A watchful eye u-ould be kept on all these things The Department had only been going three iind a half months and felt they were just beginning io be useful, although , U was a job of considerable magmtudq