French Forests as Fuel For Lorries
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THE French Minister of Public Works is encouraging the use of producergas plant on commercial vehicles in France, and there was recently an important discussion on this matter in the Chamber of Deputies.
One Deputy, strongly advocating the use of producer gas, referred to its success during trials, notably at the Concours de Limoges, Brive, Tulle, and Clermont-Ferrand, where, he stated, the 160 vehicles which participated in a long trial arrived at the presGribed hour, without a breakdown or any other difficulty. The interest which the use of this fuel has for French economy Is that 80,000 lorries could travel A28 300 kiloms. (180 miles) every day for 300 days per year. This would liberate to the Treasury the heavy contribution paid abroad for purchasing fuel for these 7,200,000,000 kiloms. (4,320,000,000 miles). In place of this fuel would be required wood (mainly in the form of charcoal), which would contribute to the happiness of 1,400,000 proprietors of the wood concerned.
As a result of the co-operation of the Minister of War, a considerable number of military vehicles was being operated on producer gas. He had promised that, in the case of vehicles fitted for this fuel, there would be no requisitioning. Even more important is a decree that whilst vehicles using petrol and oil arc restricted as to their radius of operation, lorries running on producer gas will be allowed to travel for any distance. It was visualized that, with this advantage, the big hauliers could adopt almost international operation, or, to put it in the delicate French way, they could operate like the Phcenicians.
It was emphasized by another Deputy that it was not necessary to wait for perfection. The matter was urgent, and they should make immediate use of the wood or charcoal available. He did not fear that it would take long to train the drivers for the purpose.