NEW ZEALAND IRON

Southland Times, Issue 19512, 11 May 1922, Page 2

NEW ZEALAND IRON

SUCCESSFUL AT ONAKAKA. The first tapping of the bl&st-furance at Onakaka on Thursday last waa an interesting event. This furnace has been erected by the Onakaka Iron and Steel Company, Limited, which was formed for the purpose of developing a part of the huge iron-ore deposits of Golden Bay. The company has installed a modern plant for the production of pig-iron; it haa its own supplies of coal, iron ore and limestone, and it is able to get the ore and the limestone in an open quarry cut not far from the furance. The conditions are considered by experts to be exceptionally favourable. , Several tone of pig-iron were secured at the first tap. The furnace is now running very smoothly, no difficulties being encountered, and is tapped at about every eight hours. As the furnace settles down to work, about eight to ten tona of pig-iron per tap will be produced. The expert in charge is well satisfied, and says that the iron produced is all that could be desired, and is quite up to the high quality anticipated. It is the intent!cm of the company to produce 100 to 150 tons of iron, which will thoroughly try out all the units connection with the plant. It will then close down temporarily, pending the completion of the coking ovens and railway of miles to the wharf. With the completion of these unite in a few months’ time the linking up of all the necessary raw materials, iron-ore, limestone, water, and coal with the works, and the market will be complete, the furnace will then then be permanently put into commission, and will run continuously day and night from year to year. The cost of raw material for the manufacture of iron at Onakaka, as compared , with other countries, is given as follows :--At Onakaka, per tort-bf iron at the furnace, royalty, labour, and freight, costs: Iron-ore 12s; limestone, 3s; coke, 40s.—£2 15s Labour is not more than 15s. It is estimated that coal from the company’s mine, when opened up, will- not cost more than 15a., including royalties, at the works. In England,. as on February 1, the costs were: Iron-ore, £2 Us; coke, £1 6s; limestone, 8s —£4 5s 6cL, being freight and cost raw materials only.