Govt. May Press For Sulphur Plant

Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31341, 11 April 1967, Page 18

Govt. May Press For Sulphur Plant

The Department of Industries and Commerce may ask the oil consortium which operates the Whangarei refinery to introduce a sulphur recovery plant in plans for extensions to petroleum refining.

The Minister of Industries and Commerce (Mr Shelton) has told the Christchurch Clean Air Society that his department will raise with the company the installation of a ; sulphur recovery plant if it applies for an import licence < for new equipment The society first raised the matter with the Prime Minister (Mr Holyoake) on the I understanding that the con- i sortium planned to refine more oil to obtain more petrol and other by-products. In his letter to Mr Holyoake, the president of. the society (Mr I. R. Densem) said that if the company planned I

the extensions it was likely that more sulphur would be introduced into the atmosphere by the burning of heating oil which is the residue after the refining process. Mr Densem said that if the consortium were asked to extract the sulphur from the oil the country would benefit from less air pollution and by saving overseas funds spent on sulphur imports. Replying on behalf of the Prime Minister, Mr Shelton said that while the Government had no power to compel the company to adopt any particular refining process to recover any specific product it would raise the matter if application was made for additional plant. “I can assure you that' in its discussions with the company on this matter the Government will have full regard to the representations made by your society on the public health hazard involved in the general use of heavy heating oils containing sulphur,” Mr Shelton said.

Boiler Lit.—The No. 1 boiler at the Marsden power station was lit for the first time on Saturday, marking a major step in the start-up procedure.—(P.A.)