Abstract :
The object of this paper is an attempt to point out the advantages of combining the production of electrical energy with that of coal by-products. It is also a plea for co-operation between the mine owners and electrical engineers, especially in districts where there already exist efficient gas-engine stations utilizing waste gas, and in other districts where they can be efficiently erected and operated. It is an admitted fact that the Electricity Act of 1926 will have a very far-reaching influence not only throughout the electrical industry but also in the homes and lives of the people, and if therefore the thermal and financial aspects of that Act are carefully considered it should lead not only to cheaper electricity but also to a greater use of the coalfields as generating centres. It has been said in the past that the general view of the generation of electricity is too parochial, and that if the country as a whole is to benefit from the proposed re-organization of the generation of electricity the widest possible outlook should be taken. This outlook must embrace the generation of electricity and also the possibility of reducing unemployment by encouraging the mining industry to cooperate, not only in the supply of fuels but also in that of surplus electrical energy.
