THE MUCH-NEEDED ALCOHOL FUEL.
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How to Get It On to the Market. The Importance of Securing the Collaboration o Overseas Governments.,
AT THE Imperial Motor Transport Conference, Dr. Ormandy read a paper entitled, " Why Power Alcohol is not yet on the Market." This paper was, as I understand it, intended to serve as a reply to people who say in effect—" Alcohol has. been talked about for years, but still it is not on the market. Either it is inherently a bad fuel, or else there must be insuperable obstacles in the way of marketing it. In either case, would it not be wise to drop consideration of the subject altogether and concentrate attention on other petrol substitutes of,a more practical character? "
This argument sounds plausible, and I take it what Dr. Ormandy set out to do was to show that, while the difficulties are considerable, they are not insuperable; that, while they may be fatal in their effect on a small project, they can be overcome by action on a large scale. Probably, the public needed to. be warned of the pitfalls that would beset the path of any comparatively small speculative company formed to produce alcohol fuel. A period of enthusiasm might lead to public money being provided to support such companies, the subsequent result being total failure on account of their inadequate size and a consequent reaction on public opinion, very damaging, if not completely disastrous.
TheDifficulties and How they Can be Met.
.Let us take the points mentioned in the catalogue 4 difficulties contained in his paper and consider
what they really signify. First, we have the difficulty that rotation of crops is necessary, and that, in some cases at least, planters find that the only rotation crops available would not pay them in present circunistances, This points simply to the need for improved transport facilities which would bring enlarged markeffs within reach of planters, who would then be able ai dispose of their rotation crops on reasonably satisfaatory terms. '
The next point is the difficulty and cost of carrying the alcohol crop to the distillery. These are simply due to the lack of efficient means of communication. If there were good roads intersecting the alcohol property and connecting it to the distillery, this difficulty would be disposed of once and for all.
Next, we liax e the fact that the position of the distillery must be darefully chosen and that, consequently, much land otherwise suitable lot. growing alcohol cannot be so used because there is no suitable distillery site near to it. Here, again, the question of transport comes in. The disadvantages of distance cannot be measured in miles, but must be measured rather in time taken in transporting between the two points and the cost of conducting the work. If we connect two places by a good road or a decently organized railway, the effect is tantamount to bringing them far closer together than they were before.
• The next point is the fuel requirement of the distillery. This can generally be filled in tropical countries by wood, scrub or refuse from the alcohol crop itself. Dr. Ormaxuly points out that the development of gas producers for handling vegetable refuse is going on satisfactorily, and has a great bearing on the problem. Thus, there is evidently no real reason for pessimism on this point.
Next, we have the question of the provision of labour and the cost of management. The provision of labour is largely a matter of transport. If local labour is unsuitable, workers must be brought from a distance and housed at some convenient point. The
cost of overhead charges' per gallon of fuel obtained, depends upon the output of the distillery or the total output of the whole group of local distilleries. If these are well connected by roads, the skilled staff necessary to keep them all going efficiently is immensely reduced.
We now come • to legal difficulties : In tropical countries the laws concerning the distribution of alcohol are very strict. Natives will drink almost anything, however nasty. This brings us op against the problem of denaturation, and shows the necessity for close collaboration between the Governments of the. Colonies and the interests which are trying to advance the cause of fuel alcohol. There is no reason why we should not find a denaturant which, without being positively a fatal poison, will have such objectionable after-effects that fairly free distribution. will be possible without risk of abuse.
Then as to the question of transport : The alcohol,
when distilled, unless it is to be used locally, must be taken to the coast and shipped; if it is to be run down in pipe lines, it is obvious that the cost of the system will be high if the distance be at all great. Such cost would only be justified by a. very large production of the spirit. Failing pipe lines, the alternatives are road or. rail. In either case, we want the cordial cooperation of local Governments in a scheme for developing their countries and increasing their fuel and their trade. As regards sea transport, it would obviously be out of the question to use tankers unless the production were very large.
When we getito England, we find all sorts of regu
lations in the way of storage and distribution. These, however, are man-made regulations, and can be removed. The most likely way of getting, rid of them is to bring about a state of affairs in which Dominion and Colonial Governments would stand to gain immensely from their removal and would, conSequently, make very strong representations to the Home Government. This, again, shows the need for working in close touch with colonial authorities.
As to the. difficulties of using alcohol, we already
know that, at least, very fair results can be got with alcohol mixtures in ordinary petrol engines, very slightly modified. In the early stages it would be the larger trade users of motors who would take. up the imported alcohol supplies, so that the difficultieS of use up to this stage are by no means insuperable. Later, if the output of alcohol were sufficient to.justify it, a system for universal distribution would have to he perfected. This has been done in tlie case of petrol and, therefore, can be done in the case of aleohol, either by the same people or by others. As a preliminary we must settle certain standard alcohol fuels for general distribution, 80 that the user who 'wants to replenish supplies at any point will be given il spirit fitted for usetin his engine.
Another possible difficulty often suggested is that if alcohol were produced in large quantities, those who control petrol supplies would reduce prices with a view to eliminating competition. I do not think that any such price-reduction would ever be carried to a very dangerous extent, because there is not enough petrol to go round, and we are, in fact, faced with the possibility of petrol-producing countries having their work cut out in supplying their home markets, with no surplus left over for export.
This, I think, completes the catalogue of difficulties, • and I suggest that the net result of examining them all is not to show that they are insuperable, but 019
merely to indicate the broad lines along which we must travel to overcome them. Three big things. appear to' be necessary:—
1. Production, of power alcohol must lie planned upon a really large scale in order to keep down overhead charges, and to justify -the cost of an efficient transport system, 2. The means of communication irb. alcohol:prc;'clueing districts and. between them and the coast must be created, or immensely improved.'
3. The goodwill and, th some extent, the collaboration, first of the Overseas, Governments of the Empire and later—perhaps because of their pressure—of the Home Government is essential in order to get ever legislative difficulties.
Thus, the line of actioit appears to be clear. First, we must get the Overseas Governments to appreciate the possible magnitude of the business and the tremendous advantages which wouldaccrue ta them as a result of its development. Once we can get them whole-heartedly on our -side, the battle is more than half won. We can then depend upon them to aghist as regards the means of communication betweenthe alcohol-growing districts and the coast. We shall al.so have their help in bringing the necessary pressure to bear in official quarters at home.
Meanwhile, very careful study must he given to the problem of denaturation, which is, perhaps, the directiomi in which research is most needed. No encouragement must be given to attempts on a small scale to produce fuel alcohol at out-of-the-way places. In some countries, comparatively small production may be commercially sound, merely as a Meanr of supplying fuel for their home markets, but, when it comes to any proposition for supplying it to Great Britain, nothing short of really big production is worth considering.
Pinally1all this seems to showwhat a close connection there is between the alcohol fuel problem and the work of developing and improving the road system throughout the Empire. The justification for heavy expenditure on road improvement depends on the availability of motor fuel everywhere at a. reasonablecost and in adequate quantities; and, on the other hand, the possibility of getting the crap to the distillery, and, subsequently, getting the fuel to the markets depends to.. a tremendous extent on. the adequacy of the road system.
The recent Imperial Motor Transport Conference dealt both with fuels and with roads, and has served to emphasize the closeness of the connection between the two. The road is almost useless if we lack fuel, and the fuel is almost useless if we lack roads.
VECTIS.