Plant ‘a shock at first’

Press, 14 May 1981, Page 23

Plant ‘a shock at first’

PA Dunedin A big synthetic fuel plant using New Zealand lignite reserves could have a considerable effect on people living near it. says a visiting West German synthetic fuels expert, Professor H. H. Oelert. Professor Oelert, who is consulting the New Zealand Government about coal use, was speaking in Queenstown, where he addressed the Conference of the Royal Australian Institute of Chemists last evening. He said that coal liquefaction plants of this type in Germany required up to 1000 ha on W'hich to build, although it was often less than that. In addition, the extraction of lignite ultimately affected the landscape, although not to its detriment. Large-scale coal synthesis would be a shock for those in the area at first, but if it came to the needs of the nation, it would have to be done.” said Professor Oelert. The Government should make it clear to people what was involved. If people were convinced that there was no way out but to use coal, young people in particular were likely to see the oppor-

tunities and begin training themselves for new jobs and new technologies, he said.

New Zealand would sooner or later have to take part in a joint venture development, perhaps at Government level, to be able to build a plant big enough to give a measure of self-sufficiency in liquid fuels from lignite resources.

A really big plant, costing about $4 billion to set up on present day costs, would make New Zealand self-suffi-cient in liquid fuels at present consumption figures. In a joint venture on this scale any overseas partners would expect their share ofthe liquid fuel products, but against that New Zealand had the advantage of a low risk, since it would retain ownership of the lignite deposits, said Professor Oerlet.