COKING COAL

Series

Series Name: Mining Review 6th Year

Issue

Issue No.

Date Released

Oct 1952

Stories in this Issue:

Story

Story No. within this Issue

2 / 3

Summary

BFI synopsis: Nantgarw coke oven plant
NCB Commentary - At Nantgarw in South Wales is one of the world’s most up-to-date coke oven and by-product plants.
Here’s how it works. There are 48 coke ovens. Into each goes 17 tons of coal, which is cooked for 18 hours.
At the end of the coking time, when the gas and by-products have been dirven off for further processing, a huge electric pushing machine travels along the line of ovens to ram out the coke. Off comes the 12 foot door, to be swung round out of the way. Now the ram can move forward into the 45 foot long oven. And on the far side, into a travelling hopper, out falls the white hot coke.
The hot coke has to be cooled. At Nantgarw they do it by dousing it in 30 tons of water. Today the gushing plume of steam from the quenching plant is a local landmark.
For final cooling, the quenched coke is tipped onto a wharf, from where it is taken by conveyors for screening and loading.
Day and night work goes on at Nantgarw. 1100 tons of coke comes out each day - and gas, tar, ammonia and motor spirit as well. Already Nantgarw supplies much of South Wales with gas - soon the plant will be even bigger still.

Researcher Comments

Commentary recorded 8 September 1952.

Keywords

Mining; Energy resources

Locations