EXTRACTING NITROGEN

Press, Volume CII, Issue 30038, 24 January 1963, Page 18

EXTRACTING NITROGEN

Proposal For Southland (N.Z. Preu Association) INVERCABGILL, Jan. 22. A £2.000,000 Industry—extracting nitrogen-from air to make fertiliser—-may bo established in Southland if investigations by an engineer and financier, Mr J. N. Dalhoff, prove favourable. Mr Dalboff said yesterday: “I expect to know within a few weeks whether a plant is possible, economically, politically and technically. If it is, we will build tho plant here. But establishment will depend solely on whether the Government continues the proposed Manapouri power scheme.” Mr Dalhoff, a principal of the firm of Dalhoff and King w*a in Invercars l II yesterday for a brief visit He said that the method of manufacture entailed extracting the nitrogen from the air and forming it into a aolid compound. An industry on the same lines had been established in Norway for more than 30 yccurSs K would mean that the power acheme could be completed faster, and it would need to supply enough power for the proposed aluminium scheme when it came, the nitrogen fertiliser industry and a magnesium industry which he hoped to see established some time in the future. Magnesium, which was lighter and stronger than aluminium, could be extracted from aea water, Mr Dalhoff aaid. "But without the eheap power from Manapouri these schemes can never materialise,” he aaid. The scheme was beyond the resources of hia company, but he did not think there would be any difficulty in obtaining capital to finance it Mr Dalhoff said the industry. on an economical lower level, could not cost less than £2.000,000.