Industrial Potential In Waitaki Valley

Press, Volume XCVIII, Issue 28869, 14 April 1959, Page 17

Industrial Potential In Waitaki Valley

‘*The Press” Special Service

OAMARU, April 13. The potentialities of the Waitaki valley for the establishment of a calcium carbide industry, or of an aluminium industry, were described by Professor S. R. Siemon, dean of the School of Engineering and professor of chemical engineering at the University of Canterbury, to a meeting of 60 Oamaru residents recently. After the address Professor Siemon undertook to conduct tests on the suitability of the district’s limestone deposits for the manufacturing of calcium carbide. Professor Siemon said that the .first step to the establishment of such an industry was to test the suitability of the limestone deposits, and he suggested that a small group of local people should undertake a survey of the lime deposits and have them analysed. If analyses proved satisfactory, he was prepared to make the facilities at his disposal available in the manufacture of a small amount of calcium carbide. Professor Siemon was less enthusiastic about the establishment of an aluminium industry, but mentioned it as a possibility for the Waitaki valley. The valley had as raw materials limestone, coal and hydro-electric power. With salt from elsewhere in New Zealand and imported sulphur, as well as air, it would be possible to create a chemical industry, especially an electrochemical industry, he said. The most interesting branches of an electro-chemical industry were likely to be calciutn carbide, aluminium extraction, and iron and steel production. Many Compounds

Calcium carbide was a possible route to a large number of organic chemicals, via acetylene. Both calcium carbide and the chemicals were required in New Zealand, but what was more important they were potential exports. Professor Siemon said there was no doubt that a calcium carbide industry was ripe for development. If the limestone was suitable, the Waitaki Valley would be most satisfactory for the manufacture of calcium carbide. He admitted there were other sites which might be suitable for such an industry, including Dunedin, the West Coast and Christchurch. Another industry which might be considered _was aluminium, which was so hungry for power. In many places aluminium indus-

tries had been taken to the site of power. New Zealand had some of the cheapest hydro-electric power in the world, with the possible exception of Norway. Aluminium required bauxite, which was regularly transported round the world to the site of electric power. Australia could be the source of bauxite. If an aluminium industry was established in the Waitaki Valley, there should be centred on the nearest town, Oamaru, an aluminium rolling industry for the manufacture of aluminium goods, he said.