Wealth from Waikato Coal

Sun (Auckland), Volume I, Issue 161, 28 September 1927, Page 12

Wealth from Waikato Coal

FUEL, OIL AND PETROL GOVERNMENT’S INVESTIGATIONS (THE SUX’S Parliamentary Reporter) WELLINGTON, Today. TTTILISATION of the lignite coal of the Waikato, so that not only good fuel but tar, crude oil and petrol will be obtained, is spoken of by the Minister of Railways in his annual statement. Successful treating of lignite coal in Germany by low-temperature carbonisation, urged the New Zealand Government to obtain a full report from an English fuel authority on the Waikato coal. The report, together with full information of trial tests on the New Zealand railways of this fuel manufactured from Waikato coal, has been referred to a special council to make recommendations to the Government. SMOKELESS FUEL “Shortly, the process is to extract tar and other products from the coal, from which crude oil, petrol, etc*.., are distilled,” says the Minister. "The coke-like residue from the first low-temperature-carbonisation process is puverised and. with a small percentage of pitch mixed for a binder, is pressed into briquettes of various sizes. It is an interesting fact that the manufactured briquette (from which the oils have been extracted) is of a higher calorific value than the raw coal. It has the further advantage of being smokeless, and not liable to spark when used in railway locomotives.” SOLVING COAL TROUBLES “These advantages are of very great value, and should the schemes under consideration be found practicable and economically possible they will play a very important part in solving the coal troubles of the Dominion, for, owing to its sparking propensities, the use of Waikato coal on the railways is rendered impossible during the summer months, and in consequence the mines are usually idle for several days of the week. For many years New Zealand has had to import large quantities of coal. These importations could be limited to a large extent by the extended utilisation of Waikato coal inthis way, and still further if it is found possible to manufacture suitable briquettes from certain classes of South Island coals.” “A good deal of further investigation is essential, as every possible aspect of such a momentous undertaking must be fully weighed before finality can be reached. At the sr me time many other interesting processes are being looked into, and these, of necessity, must be tried out by the railways, for the department, being the largest consumer, would be able to contract for a sufficiently large amount of fuel to enable any new enterprise economically to commence operations.”