Reactive rock research boost

Press, 24 April 1987, Page 26

Reactive rock research boost

A major Texan fertiliser exporter may be funding up to $400,000 worth of research at the Ruakura Agricultural Research Station.

The senior vice-presi-dent (international marketing) of Texas Gulf Chemicals Co., Mr Ron Knutson, was in New Zealand recently and visited the M.A.F. research station.

Texas Gulf is one of the world’s largest producers of' reactive phosphate rock (R.P.R.) and partially acidulated materials (P.A.P.R.S) and exports large quantities of both to New Zealand. Mr Knutson said the M.A.F.’s field research into R.P.R. and P.A.P.R.S was leading the world and he was impressed with the potential of both products.

He has invited Ruakura’s group leader (fertiliser development), Dr Bert Quin, to submit a research funding proposal to Texas Gulf.

Dr Quin said the possible cost of such a project was $lOO,OOO a year and it could run for up to four years. He was extremely pleased with the funding offer because a number of factors had greatly limited research into manufacturing aspects of alternative phosphate fertilisers at Ruakura.

These included budget cuts, the increasing transfer of research resources to areas showing a quick return, and Dr Quin’s involvement with a protracted court case. However, he said research had been helped by obtaining the fertiliser pilot plant from the Fertiliser Manufacturers’ Association Research Station in Otara, which closed late last year, as well as a generous grant from another New Zealand company.

The model for predicting the effectiveness of R.P.R. was now ready for release and his top priority research was to inves-

tigate the most cost-effi-cient method for incorporating sulphur into R.P.R. and P.A.P.R.

“The long term savings for New Zealand fanners from these alternative fertilisers will exceed $lOO million annually in 1987 dollar terms,” he predicted. “We are in the middle of the greatest revolution in fertiliser use this country has seen since the introduction of superphosphate in 1899. “The suitability of the New Zealand soil and pastoral systems for using low-cost R.P.R.-based fertilisers will give pastoral fanners a permanent advantage in production costs.”

Meanwhile Femz Corporation has announced that sulphur from Marsden Point is to replace imported Canadian sulphur used in the manufacture of industrial chemicals and fertilisers. The manufacture of sulphur is a first for New Zealand as the expanded

Marsden Refinery is now able to extract sulphur from crude oil. This enables better, more economical use of heavier grade imported oils as well as reducing sulphur emissions from the refinery. Unlike imported powdered sulphur, the Marsden Point product will be transported and stored in liquid (molten) form, using specially designed tankers and a total of four 1000-tonne holding tanks at the Whangarei works of Femz and Marsden Point. Farmers Fertiliser (owned by Fernz) anticipates using the total Marsden Point output (14,000 tonnes a year), initially at its Whangarei works, and also at the Morrinsville industrial chemical plant. As well as savings of $4 million a year in overseas funds, the locally made product will even out supply and demand peaks and provide an improvement in quality. — Karen Holdem