COAL CARBONISATION.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 20312, 20 July 1929, Page 9

COAL CARBONISATION.

ADOPTION IN THE WAIKATO.

COMPANY OF £IOO,OOO CAPITAL.

BRIQUETTES AND BY-PRODUCTS

Lengthy negotiations and research in connection with the possibilities of applying: a carbonisation process to Waikato coals have now reached the stage where a contract has been finalised between four Waikato coal companies and rue! Industries, Ltd., London. In a few days a company with a capital of £IOO,OOO, to be arranged by the coal companies concerned, uril] be registered. In imparling this information yesterday Sir. W. D. Eoigate, chairman of the Waikato Development Beard, stated 'hat since the four Waikato companies concerned, the Taupiri, Pukemiro anc: Wa;pa Coal Companies, and Renown Collieries. Ltd., had arranged for the necessary capital, no shares would be offered to »he public, although it was possible that if more capital were required a few debentures bearing interest at 7 per cent, might be issued. The company would be known as the Waikato Carbonising Company, Ltd. Contract Let lor Plant. A contract had been let for a two-unit carbonising plant, tar-distillation plant and briquetting plant, the machinery being guaranteed to treat 250 tons a day and to produce specified percentages of char and briquettes of a fised calorinc value. The company would also deal with ail slack supplied by the coal companies named, and should the two-unit plant prove successful it would be duplicated. Together with Mr. Holgate's announcement of the finalising of negotiations there has been released for publication a verv lengthy and most detailed statement by Major EL L. Armstrong, managing director of Fuel Industries, Ltd., concerning researches into carbonisation processes generally. Major Armstrong briefiy mentions the interest taken by the Waikato during the past three years in world-wide' researches in carbonisation, and states it is now established beyond doubt that in almost every case considerable advantages are to be obtained by the treatment of raw coal before burning. This was particularly true of coalmining conditions in the Waikato. Raising the Value cf CoaL New Zealand imported very large quantities of overseas coal more suitable than much of our own product for the general tmrposes of a high-grade fueL The fact remained, however, that through the carbonisation process a far greater proportion of the Waikato coals in particular could be converted to the uses of the highest-grade fuels. Equally important was the wider utilisation Gf slack, especially since the advent of power from Arapuui was restricting the demand for slack for steam-generating plants. In. short, the main problems of the Waikato were to market more coal equal to that of Newcastle, and at the same time to make profitable use of the shtck. Under the Lurgi process to be adopted .slack would be so treated as to drive oft various constituents and water without bumine, and the plant to be installed would be capable of manufacturing' annually 45,000 tons of briquettes of the very highest calorific value and suitable for all purposes of high-grade coal. _

The constituents driven erf in the process would be collected and would provide various marketable products, such as oil for use in Diesel engines, or for burning. The plant was automatic, operated at a low cost, and should prove a very highlyremunerative investment. The. company supplying the materia! was wholly British, although holding rights over German patents.