THE COAL INDUSTRY

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LV, Issue 17009, 22 July 1929, Page 7

THE COAL INDUSTRY

PVELOPMENT IN N.Z, I&ATION OF BY-PRODUCTS (Sp«ci*i to the Herald.) CHKISTCHURQH, this day. Important developments in the coal Industry in New Zealand were indicated ■ ytiterday by the Minister of Mines, the [■■'thai, W. A. Veitch, in an interview. These developments, which relate mainly to the use of slack, which is now practically a waste product from mines, will result in the introduction of a great deal "of capital to the Dominion and employment for a number of men.* Mr. Veitch added that there had been v«iy important development in the North Island, where mineowners of the Wai- ' kato had combined and formed a company to establish a plant which would treat the slack * from Waikato mines. This promised to be a very valuable industry to the Dominion. Negotiations Were also in progress, added the Minister, tot the establishment of a coaldistilling plant in the Wellington district, and it was now practically certain that this would be established. Among the products of this plant might be fuel oilFurther evidence of moves taking place - in the coal industry was furnished by Mr. Veitch when he mentioned that negotiations were in progress which * might culminate in the establishment of extensive coal distilling plants in other Carts of th« Dominion. He gave it as h opinion that the outlook for the coal trade was bright. Various methods will be adopted at these plants, he said, but negotiations under way were in connec- - lion with the utilisation of brown coal. "There is no dinger of a coal shortage/' said Mr. Veitch. 'The coal is coming in well, and the miners on the West Cbast are doing remarkably well in keeping the people supplied. Hi this connection a record was established on *turday, when 3000 tons of coal and aber were brought over from the West Coast. AH this had.to pass through the Otlra tunnel, which was designed to handle 1000 tons a day. CARBONISATION OF COAL THE WAIKATO ENTERPRISE PLANT TO BE IMPORTED Lengthy negotiations and research in connection With, the possibilities of applying the carbonisation process to Wai< kato coals have now reached a stage where a contract has been finalised between four Waikato coal companies and Fuel Industries, Ltd., London. In a lew days a company with a capital of £100,009, to be- arranged by the coal "■ companies concerned, will be registerIn imparting this information, Mr. W. D. Holgate, chairman of the Waikato Development Board, stated that • since the four Waikato companies concerned, the Taupiri, Pukemiro and Waipa €bal Companies, and Renown Collieries, Ltd., had arranged for the necessary : capital, no shares would be offered to :.. the public, although it was possible .that if more capital were required a : | few debentures bearing interest at 7 i: i J -t*r cent, might be issued. The company woula be known as the Waikato Carfaoniaing Co., Ltd. A contract had " been .let" for a two-unit carbonising plant, tar-distillation plant and briquettii»(j plant, the machinery being guaran- - teed to treat 250 tons a day, and to pcodace specified percentages, of char r ' ami heiqwrttw of,.fixed, calorific value. . "Jjbe company would also deal with alt .tiae ■lace supplied bv the coal eom- '. V*rdes concerned, and should the twoi plant prove successful it would be Together with Mr. Holgate's announce moot of finalising of negotiations there km keen released for publication a very Worthy and moat detailed statement by Major H. L Armstrong, managing director of Fuel Industries, Ltd., conearfling researches in carbonisation procaines generally. Major Armstrong JbrieflT mentions the interest taken by the Waikato during the past three years • I-' te' the world-wide researches into 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 . k Before horning. This was particularly ,' true of coalmining conditions •in the ;; rlfaikato. In short, the main problems ■ of the Waikato were to market more oeal equal to that of Newcastle and at the same time to make profitable use of the slack. Under the Lnrgi process to be adopted, slack would be treated so as i|"; ; yto .drive off various constituents and , water without burning, and the plant to : . bo installed would be car-able of manufacturing annually 45,000 tons of luettes of the very highest calorific a and suitable for all purposes of -grade coal. The constituents driven ia the process would be collected -would provide various marketable beta, such as oil for use in Diesel 808 or for burnine. The plant was matic, operated at a low cost, and ltd prove e v '"My remunerative atment. The company supplying the trial was wholly British, although Ipg rights over German patents.