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Report - - Angelsey Aluminium Feb17 | Industrial Sites | 28DaysLater.co.uk

Report - Angelsey Aluminium Feb17

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albino-jay

g00n Buster
Staff member
Moderator
History copied from @rasinwing thread from August.

HISTORY

Anglesey Aluminium Metal Ltd, which shut down on 30 September 2009, was a joint venture between the Rio Tinto Group and Kaiser Aluminum.

Its aluminium smelter, located on the outskirts of Holyhead, was one of the largest employers in North Wales, with 540 staff members, and began to produce aluminium in 1971. Until recently it produced up to 142,000 tonnes of aluminium every year and was the biggest single user of electricity (255 MW) in the United Kingdom.

Alumina and coke shipped from Jamaica and Australia would berth at the company's private jetty in Holyhead harbour. This jetty is linked by a series of conveyor belts passing through tunnels to the plant. A spur rail link from the main Holyhead to London rail line runs into the plant and was used for both receipt of raw materials and despatch of aluminium.

The plant was powered from the National Grid and received most of its electricity from Wylfa nuclear power station 15 miles away. AA was used as a base load for Wylfa and saved the grid the cost of keeping a power station on standby. The power contract terminated in 2009, and the aluminium smelting operation was shut down as no new contract was negotiated. The company has announced tentative plans for a biomass plant on the site, but smelting operations have been halted and the plant mothballed until 2016.

Near the smelter the Aluminium Powder Company (ALPOCO) produces aluminium powder, which is used in pastes, pigments, chemicals, metallurgy, refractory, propulsion, pyrotechnics, spray deposition and powder metallurgy.
THE EXPLORE

Been meaning to check this place out since around this time last year. I'm currently working in Bangor fixing ambulances with a couple of lads who used to work here in the garage there, carrying out maintenance and repairs etc to the various vehicles they had on site. Anyway it never happened and with me being back there now I thought it was about time I had a look.........good job really as it's coming down.

Quite a few of the buildings are still there but quite a few are still in use. The office block at the front, an office block in the middle, the fabrication shop and a few other small building dotted about towards the rear of the site.

I've heard on the grapevine that Quest are in the process of filming some programme following several demolition company's in action and they've decided to film Squibs tearing this place down.

Security are at the front gate and they do regular patrols, the whole site is camera'd up I had a couple of hi vis vests in my van so i thought if he saw us on a camera he'd just think we were filming. We found our way in (without hi vis) right infront of a camera we missed and security rocked up straight away looking for us. After a quick hide he soon disappeared so we took refuge inside the potline sheds donned the vests and had free roam of the place.

Not amazing but I suppose it's worth a look if you're near by.

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i dont know how but there is more pics here if anyone is interested

https://flic.kr/s/aHskQHP2CS
 

raisinwing

28DL Regular User
Regular User
Glad that someone else has been to look here, it's not a bad site, plus we missed a lot when we went!
Looks like the demo is in full swing, may have to head back for a look around sometime soon.

Nice report :thumb
 

albino-jay

g00n Buster
Staff member
Moderator
Glad that someone else has been to look here, it's not a bad site, plus we missed a lot when we went!
Looks like the demo is in full swing, may have to head back for a look around sometime soon.

Nice report :thumb

Cheers dude, im surprised there are no reports from years ago. When it probably couldve been pretty awesome. The lads in work said the massive A frame shed was full of goodies. i got absolutely soaked walking over to it to discover it being completely empty
 

raisinwing

28DL Regular User
Regular User
Cheers dude, im surprised there are no reports from years ago. When it probably couldve been pretty awesome. The lads in work said the massive A frame shed was full of goodies. i got absolutely soaked walking over to it to discover it being completely empty

Don't suppose you found any way into the underground conveyor system that goes to the docks?
 

albino-jay

g00n Buster
Staff member
Moderator
Don't suppose you found any way into the underground conveyor system that goes to the docks?

I didnt mate, there was quite a few people about at the back end. So i didnt have a look there. The lads here tell me there was a building near the chimney that had a basement level or two but i thibk its been filled in for the demo work. I didnt even know about any underground stuff so wasnt looking for it im afraid.
 

Xan_Asmodi

Cave Monster
28DL Full Member
This report is brilliant! I could see the chimney for this place from my ex's grandparents, certainly a landmark on the Holy Island skyline!

Brilliant.
 

albino-jay

g00n Buster
Staff member
Moderator
This report is brilliant! I could see the chimney for this place from my ex's grandparents, certainly a landmark on the Holy Island skyline!

Brilliant.

Cheers mate.

I think they are meant to be keeing the chimnwy as it's a landmark. But we will see. It is rather large. Pictures don't do it justice and show its scale really.
 

mw0sec

28DL Full Member
28DL Full Member
Lathes, millers and a nice radial arm drill.... Old machine porn :):):)
A real shame to see the rust in progress. I'd make them an offer, but already run out of room in the barn. Incidentally, I live at Carmel around 10 miles away with a clear view towards Holyhead.
 

Speed

Got Epic?
Regular User
It is a bit strange how no one went there earlier. Then again lots of sites like this were being ignored a few years ago.
 

albino-jay

g00n Buster
Staff member
Moderator
Aparantly they sold off every vehicle on site a few years ago including that shunter. How reliable this is I do not know.

As for the tunnel to the Jeti the entrance is in the base of the conveyor from the A frame shed. It was always flooded and had pumps running 24/7 and sometimes the Fir brigade pumping it. So with it bwing shut and for so long it will most deffo be flooded.
 

mw0sec

28DL Full Member
28DL Full Member
A couple of loco's went to the Lein Amlwch group (Anglesey central railway). One was put in reasonable order before moving. They were stored in the railway yard at Llannerchymedd where they underwent consistent vandalism. For this reason the best one was moved to a more secure location.
ACR now has a lease on the old Gaerwen-Amlwch track, but do not yet have sufficient funds to to much more than track clearance and maintenance.
 
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