Coal gas industry

Press, 29 August 1979, Page 20

Coal gas industry

Sir, — Rather than taking the figures of an outdated, inefficient coal gas plant into consideration to decide the future of this form of energy' in New Zealand, would the Ministry of Energy be prepared to approach outside experts in this field, available in West Germany, to give an opinion on modern coalmining and coal gas manufacture? — Yours, etc., FRED BINKER. August 2, 1979. [The Minister of Energy, Mr Birch, replies: “The fundamental technology of coal gasification has been in existence for more than 100 years. However, the increasing supply of natural gas throughout the world at a cost below that of manufactured gas, has led to a decline in coal gasification so that the plants in the South Island of New Zealand are probably the last now remaining in the world. With the decline of coal carbonising the difficulties in recruiting competently trained and qualified staff to operate the plants has increased.. These trends now show signs of being reversed because of rising oil prices and the shortage of gas in parts of North America. Basic tesearch and development is being undertaken throughout the world into new coal gasification techniques but only two types of gasification processes are in commercial operation — the Lurgi and Koppers-Totzek processes. Some others have reached the demonstration plant stage. At present these advanced types of technology for gasification of coal depend upon very high capita! investment with plants supplying millions of cubic feet of gas a day. A small scale plant which would be commercially viable in the South Island is not available. The abundance of hydro-electricity from renewable resources available in the South Island, and the prospects of large amounts of L.P.G. from the Maui gas field preclude the adoption of new high capital intensive coal gas experimentation systems at this stage.”]