PROSPECT

Series

Series Name

Mining Review 8th Year

Issue

Issue No.

5

Date Released

Jan 1955

Stories in this Issue:

1. 1NEWTON HILL
2. 2WINLATON SWORD DANCE
3. 3119 NOT OUT
4. 4PROSPECT

Story

Story No. within this Issue

4 / 4

Summary

BFI synopsis: how industrial users could save more coal.
NCB Commentary - In 1954 it took nearly seven million tons more coal than in 1953 to keep Britain going. It wasn’t the householder who burnt the extra; we were rationed as usual. No, it was industry who used it, either direct as solid fuel or in the form of electricity or gas. Somehow the coal was won. Our miners produced a bit more and some more had to be imported. But our coal production isn’t as fast as consumption. And let’s face it, it probably won’t catch up until the programme of reconstruction and sinking of new pits begins to make itself felt in five or ten years from now.
So what’s the answer? There are only two possible, if our industry is not to be hamstrung: import more coal - that’s expensive - or, the real answer: use the coal we have got more efficiently.
It’s firghteningly easy to be more efficient than we are now. If only industry would take the bother. Take just two examples, both boilers burning coal to raise steam. At this colliery boiler house they used to fire by hand. To-day they fire mechanically. Twelve boilers are doing the work of fourteen.
The same amount of steam is produced for only 4/5ths the amount of coal.
Then they put in an economiser which uses the hot flue gases to heat up the water before it gets to the boiler proper.
Here’s another direct saving of fuel: 1/20th less coal was used. Just dealing in fractions, aren’t we? 1/5th saved, 1/20th saved. But these fractions are part of millions of tons of coal a year. Nearly 230 million to be exact.
More than half our coal is used in raising steam. Suppose we burn a hundred million tons of it on equipment where a quarter or the coal needn’t be burned at all? That would give us 25 million tons to play with. 25 million tons that are just wasted now because nobody does anything about it. And this is only one way of saving. 25 million tons saved, or keep our miners struggling to scratch out another million or two.
Which is the better way?

Researcher Comments

Commentary recorded 6 December 1954.

Keywords

Industry and manufacture; Mining

Written sources

British Film Institute Databases   Used for synopsis
The National Archives COAL 32   /3 Scripts for Mining Review, 1949-1956

Credits:

Production Co.

Documentary Technicians Alliance

Sponsor

National Coal Board