A pneumatic conveying apparatus operable to transport material from a supply source to a process, the pneumatic conveying apparatus comprising: a compression device operable to supply and transport pneumatic media through at least one conduit; a supply source operable to discharge material into the pneumatic conveying system; at least one vessel (9; 9A; 9B; 20) arranged to receive material from the supply source and to discharge material to the at least one conduit; a filter receiver configured to receive material and pneumatic media from at least one conduit and operable to separate material and pneumatic media such that a predefined volume or weight of material can be stored in and a large capacity discharged from the filter receiver to an adjacent process, where a process connection which is formed where the apparatus connects to the process is within a 1 m to 15 m horizontal or vertical range; a discharge device connected to the filter receiver a control system able to measure and subsequently maintain and / or recover to a fixed weight or volume, the amount of material stored in the filter receiver, by varying the rate of feed to the pneumatic conveying pipeline according to close loop control methods, wherein a control system is also operable to maintain the weight and / or level of material within the filter receiver between predetermined upper and lower limits, such that the discharge device transporting material to the process retains predictable operating characteristics and as such that the process can never suffer a shortage of material and as such that the material and conveying media separation method can never be compromised, characterized in that the discharge device is operable to increase its feed rate from the minimum feed rate to the maximum feed rate over a time frame of between 3 seconds to 30 seconds in order to discharge material to the process in a way which meets the process demands and is greater than the rate of increase possible from the pneumatic conveying system alone, using control system operable to control discharge rate of material such that material is transported substantially continuously, and wherein the storage capacity of the filter receiver is in the range of 1 to 2 minutes conveying capacity at the maximum rate and where the volume of the filter receiver is in the range of 1⁄2 to 1/8th of the volume of the vessel receiving material from the supply source. a compression device operable to supply and transport pneumatic media through at least one conduit; a supply source operable to discharge material into the pneumatic conveying system; at least one vessel (9; 9A; 9B; 20) arranged to receive material from the supply source and to discharge material to the at least one conduit; a filter receiver configured to receive material and pneumatic media from at least one conduit and operable to separate material and pneumatic media such that a predefined volume or weight of material can be stored in and a large capacity discharged from the filter receiver to an adjacent process, where a process connection which is formed where the apparatus connects to the process is within a 1 m to 15 m horizontal or vertical range; a discharge device connected to the filter receiver a control system able to measure and subsequently maintain and / or recover to a fixed weight or volume, the amount of material stored in the filter receiver, by varying the rate of feed to the pneumatic conveying pipeline according to close loop control methods, wherein a control system is also operable to maintain the weight and / or level of material within the filter receiver between predetermined upper and lower limits, such that the discharge device transporting material to the process retains predictable operating characteristics and as such that the process can never suffer a shortage of material and as such that the material and conveying media separation method can never be compromised, characterized in that the discharge device is operable to increase its feed rate from the minimum feed rate to the maximum feed rate over a time frame of between 3 seconds to 30 seconds in order to discharge material to the process in a way which meets the process demands and is greater than the rate of increase possible from the pneumatic conveying system alone, using control system operable to control discharge rate of material such that material is transported substantially continuously, and wherein the storage capacity of the filter receiver is in the range of 1 to 2 minutes conveying capacity at the maximum rate and where the volume of the filter receiver is in the range of 1⁄2 to 1/8th of the volume of the vessel receiving material from the supply source.