OUR PEAT SWAMPS

Northland Age, Volume 16, Issue 35, 22 May 1919, Page 7

OUR PEAT SWAMPS

THEIR VALUE FOR FUEL, ELECTRIC POWER AND MANURE

(From the “Wairoa Bell,’)

Some most interesting information was supplied to the Parliamentary Industries Committee by Mr. G. E. Alderton, Chairman of the Parenga Gumfields, Ltd., bearing on the subject of the value of our peat swamps. Quoting from the latest words published on the subject, Mr. Alderton adduced the following facts: — (I) That peat as a fuel has been found to have the same calorific or heating power as coal, that trains have been run on express time using less peat fuel than coal, and that for making producer gas peat is superior to any other fuel. (2.) That large producer gas plants have been erected in different parts of the world entirely operated by peat fuel for the purpose of supplying electricity and power, and it is claimed that electrical power can be supplied in this way at less cost than by water or hydraulic force; it involves a smaller expenditure, is quickly made available, and (3) By its means a cheap and valuable agricultural manure can be produced, namely, sulphate of ammonia, that is to say, that in making the producer gas to drive the electrical plant, the sulphate of ammonia in the peat is extracted at the same time and at the one cost hence it is claimed that a peatdriven electrical supply station producing sulphate of ammonia as a by-product from the peat is a more economical proposition than electricity produced by hydraulic power. (The cost of producing sulphate of ammonia by this process is set down at £5 18 f- per ton, and its pre-war value in the English market was £ll 10/-per ton). The following quotations from standard works are embodied in Mr. Alderton’s communication :—■ Extracts from “ Commercial Peat, its uses and possibilities,” by F. T. Gissing : page 19: — “ Peat briquettes have proved equal to coal in all instances where it has been tried . . . For producing gas no briquetting Is necessary as the pressed carbonised peat is used . . . The cost of manufacturing the peat oriquettes at 7/- to 9/- per ton, without reckoning the by-pro-ducts. The by-products pay a great part of the expenses, so that one ton of briquettes can be produced for 4/- in waggon at factory.” Page 22: —“ There seems every chance of peat bogs growing in importance by means of combination of suction gas plants and electrical works. Peat, which is hard and of uniform consistency, is put into the suction gas generator,andthe gas engine is worked as a prime motor for an electrical station in the bog districts. The utilisation of peat for gas making by destructive distillation is being actively pursued by engineers in this country. Great reliance Is placed on the value of the byproducts and mainly on the ammonium sulphate which will be produced in the course of the process of gas making. The results of the many experiments carried out have proved, independently of each other, that peat will produce (a) a gas which is in every way suitable for use in gas engines, (b) a considerable amount of sulphate of ammonia worth about £l2 a ton (English pre-war value), and (c) a very good coke which may be used for all kinds of heating purposes.

In a letter to the Chairman of the Parliamentary Industries Committee, sitting at Auckland, Mr. Alderton says:— “ Re Peat and its Commercial Values. —In view of utilising the commercial values of our peat swamps, I have the honour to enclose herewith extracts from the latest works on this subject: In so far as the Parenga Gumfields, Ltd., is concerned, we are not immediately concerned in the development of peat values, but jn our research work the possi*

bilities pertaining to peat have come under our notice and the importance of the subject suggests the advisability of the Government setting up a committee of experts to investigate the matter.

The latest investigation made in Great Britain, America, and on the Continent indicate huge possibilities in this direction, and as there are large areas of peat swamps both North of Auckland and in the Waikato, the commercial and scientific investigation of the subject should demand the early and serious consideration of the Government. Reference to the works of F. T. Gissing, “ Commercial Peat: Its Uses and Possibilities,” and “ Peat: Its Use and Manufacture,” by P. R. Bjorling and F. T. Gissing, the following facts are disclosed: —

That peat as a fuel has the same heating or calorific power as coal, and that express trains have been run, maintaining the same speed as when driven by coal, but using even less weight of peat. That as a fuel for producer gas plants, it has no equal, and is superior to all other fuels.

That large producer gas plants have been erected in different parts of the world on peat bogs, entirely fed by peat fuel, to run electrical plants, and electricity can be supplied in this way at less cost than by water power, deduction being made for the by-products accruing in the shape of sulphate of ammonia, etc. It is claimed that a peat-driven producer plant extracts the sulphate of ammonia while driving the electrical plant at a cost of £5 18/- per ton, and its English pre-war value was £ll 10/- per ton. That large works have been erected on the peat bogs to generate electricity on this system, and towns or factories within 30 or 40 miles can be supplied with light and power. Several of such plants varying from 10,000 to 8,000 horse power are now in operation. That peat briquettes cost to manufacture from 7/- to 9/- per ton but after allowing for the value of the sulphate of ammonia and the coke produced, the net cost is 4/- per ton. However, briquetting is not necessary; the peat can be used wet, about sixty per cent, of moisture being necessary for the requisite slow combustion. These facts are worth consideration and should be very carefully investigated. If, for instance, the waste peat swamps in the Waikato district contain the same proportion of nitrogen as those above referred to, namely, from 1% to 2 per cent., then it would be worth while erecting plants to supply the Waikato towns with electricity and cheap manure, in the form of sulphate of ammonia. The estimates furnished by the authorities quoted as to the yield of sulphate of ammonia per acre are : Taking a depth of six feet with peat yielding 2 per cent, of ammonia, the produce would vary from 320 to 360 tons per acre.

Mr. W. J. Crossley, M.P., the well known engineer, is reported in “ Engineering ” to say, “ that a plant to treat 10 tons of peat an hour would, cost £50,000; the cost of treatment would be £5 18/per ton,, and its value £ll 10/per ton (pre-war English value, and allowing for the writing off of the capital in six years, the profit would be £24,000 per annum. The general statement is that where there is a sale for the electric power these works operated by peat fuel can with their assistance of their by-products be run at the same cost as works supplied by water power. The statement that briquette fuel can be manufactured from 7/- to 9/- a ton, or, deducting value of by-products, for 4/- a ton, may interest the Government, seeing that the calorific power of this fuel is the same as coal. As the railway runs over the swamp, it might be a business proposition for the Government to have a reserve of briquette

fuel held against any possible or extraordinary shortage. The same works as quoted above give full information as to the manufacture of alcohol for motor power, also made from peat. In England, alcohol made from beet, potatoes, and molasses -costs per gallon, but it can be made from peat for 3d. At a cost of iod for sulphuric acid, from 25 to 36 gallons of alcohol fit for motor purposes has been extracted from a ton of peat. The method is simple and inexpensive, and the value of the by-products exceed the , cost of production. A company in Copenhagen after experimenting for two years, has developed a process by which they extract 40 gallons of alcohol from a ton of dry peat, and 661bs of sulphate of ammonia. Ihe cost of producing the alcohol is 4%d per gallon. The manufacture of alcohol as a motor spirit in Great Britain is hampered by the stringency of the Excise laws, and through this the cost of denaturing the spirit and the Government supervision imposed, makes the total cost 2/per gallon, while in Germany the total inclusive charges are only I/- per gallon. In this country, it would be a simple matter for our Government to manufacture the alcohol as a motor spirit and control themselves the denaturing and marketing of the spirit, so that there could be no fear of the alcohol going out as a beverage. The process is simple and inexpensive and the only point is probably one of policy. As all leading writers on the future of oil supplies predict a famine in oils as inevitable in the near future, the advisability of the Government considering this question is apparent. The whole question of the future working and investigation and development of the kauri and peat swamps is surrounded with such enormous possibilities that it calls for the immediate and most careful investigation by a special Board of Experts, including an engineer, conversant with the latest research work, and a chemist having a knowledge of the most recent methods of dealing with oils,' alcohol, manures and the allied by-products. If the Government should set up such a Board, our Company will be pleased to assist them in every way and fully demonstrate our patent methods of treating the swamp “ pukau ” for oil.