Oil Ousts Coal

Sun (Auckland), Volume I, Issue 262, 26 January 1928, Page 1

Oil Ousts Coal

Shipbuilding Figures Big Increase in 1927 By Cable. —Press Association. — Copyright* LONDON, Tuesday. In its annual summary of shipbuilding for 1927. Lloyd's Register shows that 2.285,000 tors were launched throughout the world, of which 1.225.000 tors were launched in Britain and Ireland, 289.000 tons in Germany, 179.000 in the United States, and 119.000 in Hoi land. The tonnage launched in Britain and Ireland increased by 456.000 tons, compared with 1926. but the world’s total decreased by 4.560.000 tons, compared with the record year, 1919. The world’s total includes 19 vessels each of over 10,000 tons, and of these nir.e are over 15,000 tons each. Of the new tonnage 336.0G0 tons will be in ships fitted with steam turbines, and 564.000 in ships with internal combustion engines. The total steam tonnage launched in all parts of the world, namely, 1.375,000 tor s, includes 470,00 tons in ships fitted to burn oil fuel, so that out of the total world tonnage launched in 1927 only 905,000 tons are in ships exclusively dependent on coal for their propulsion. The tonnage under construction throughout the world at the end of the year was 3,119.000 tons, an increase of 1.186,000 tons compared with the total at the beginning of the year. Of this a total of 820.000 tons are being constructed in Britain and Ireland. The world tonnage afloat in June. 1927, was 59,688,000 tons, compared with 42,514,000 tons in June, 1914. It is noteworthy that oil-tankers have increased from 1,479.000 tons to 5.916.000 tons, and motor-ships from 234.000 tons to 4,721,000 tons, and steamers fitted for oil fuel from 1,310,000 tons to 18.500,000 tons in this period.—A. and N.Z.