Cementir/Buzzi Unicem Cement Works, Arquata Scrivia
An Introduction
Whilst preparing for a holiday abroad it made sense to add a few large industrial sites into the pool of places that could be visited.
After logging a few generic factories and power stations the next focus was, by far the most to my interest, cement. A few articles came and went with only two hopeful leads that appeared too far away to visit.
Then, in a final ditch effort, a closed works less than a mile from the accommodation was soon found.
After unpacking it became quickly apparent that the view from the window looked upon this cement plant so my afternoon was spent sending Sbeve (the drone) on a journey over the works and around the mountains confirming that the details I had gathered were correct.
Drone Imagery
Looking south over the works as a whole.
The hardstanding for aggregate stock pile vacant on the centre left with the car park and admin just above (south). Numerous silos for finished product to the top with the later ball mills attached. The Kilns just off to the right and the workshops further west.
Looking directly down with North to the right and East to the base of the image.
-The workshops and laboratories to the upper left.
-The kilns' cooler end of the far left, driving gear centre, and the hot feed end to the right.
-Material store along the base with the newer ball mill to the left, rawmill/grinding mill central and older ball mill to the right.
History
Unlike most UK plants there isn't a great wealth of information surrounding this cement plant in specific which leaves me in the hands of news paper clippings more than anything else, which has lead to some confusion in my research.
Unfortunately, the only promising lead of a full history was a book on amazon with no means of purchase available.
Cementir.
Cementir is an Italian holdings company with their primary subsidiaries in Cement and Concrete around Italy and the surrounding nations of the EU, tracing their beginnings tracing back post world-war 2 around the steel industry.
Their first cement plant would open in 1952 before rapidly expanding during an economic boom in the late 1950's of Italy, collecting numerous other plants in the process with Arquata looking to be one of their own constructions.
The Plant
There is not clear date for the plants' start of operational life apart from its' incorporation into Cementir around 1950-60 although other sources suggest 1960-1 with the closure seeing the end of a supposed 60 years in operation.
Historical Image, creator unknown, presumably from a local historian or Cementir judging by the composition.
The design of the plant consists of the usual components needed for production including ball mills and grinding mills, Kilns (with one decommissioned and replaced), clinker stores, silos and so on. Unlike most plants we are familiar with there is no nearby quarry or pit where raw materials are excavated negating the need of wash-mills, instead a former railway line within the works point to a former connection with rail freight before movement to conveyor systems directly connecting to the mainline yard.
The initial kiln has been left in place after its decommissioning and simply cut off from its chimney leaving it standing dormant along with its associated grinding mills. The second Kiln is as it would have been in operation comprising of the same basic design to Kiln 1 with the clinker coolers underneath the bottom end in a similar fashion to Shoreham although the coolers look to be of a grated system.
Both kilns, judging from their makers' plates and those on the ball mill equipment, are supplied from the Danish firm of FLSmidth commonly seen in older plants worldwide with specific UK cousins such as Barrington or South Ferriby with the latter being closer in design.
An Approximate timeline
With opening in around 1960 the plant would begin operation under the direct control of Cementir, with the buildings in place not seeing much change until closure with the exception of a second kiln being added some time before the turn of the millennium. The most notable feature was the large logo painted onto the silos along with administration offices bridging over the weigh bridges.
It would appear later in the plants' life, specifically around 2015, that numerous issues would arise between plant management and trade unions over working conditions with economic conditions playing a major component to downturns in plant maintenance and safety infrastructure at the forefront of issues.
Ownership and operation would change numerous times in the lead up to 2020 with Cementir transferring their operations to Caltagirone in around 2018 and then later transferring the works to Italcementi before changing to the final operator, Buzzi Unicem, in mid-to-late 2019.
Within this the plant was still suffering from poor management choices and failing agreements between themselves and trade unions leaving a small workforce onsite as attentions were more focused onto the better suited sister plant at Novi Ligure stimulating fears for Arquata.
The final blow to the plant would come in the midst of Coivd-19 seeing the downturn in construction leaving the now dated plant on the chopping board along with the small remaining crew of 22. Closure would occur from January to March of 2021 leaving the plant vacant since.
The visit
Taking the opportunity of a day free to do nothing but holidaying a quick morning excursion saw us hopping the fences into the works for a visit intended to take no more than an hour or so. Surprisingly there is nothing to speak of with the works relatively quiet although a few remnant cameras did keep us in check along with the buzzing of power distribution panels.
Starting off with the lower section of the Kilns.
The final operational kiln. An FLSmidth semi-dry system.
Both kilns side to side with the exhausts in the distance.
The drive gear half way along.
The upper sections of the Kilns
Kilns side by side with most of the industry shielding them from the town.
Under the newer kilns with the control block between the supports.
Part of the exhaustion system which is used to pre-heat the rawmix before deposition into the atmosphere. Similar in regards to a turbo-charger which reuses exhaust gases to increase output, just without a turbine.
The control Block
To aid in the hurt of disappointment I had already packed away the camera before squeezing into the block which meant i didn't have to lug my camera around for this. Unfortunately, my phone is shit.
The Material Store
The Mills
Starting off with the newer grinding mill to the left of the drone image.
The Raw Mill at the centre of the drone image.
Next up was the oldest grinding mill which was visually much more appealing.
Pure cement epic
Finalising the report are the laboratory and workshops starting with:
The Laboratory
The Workshops
With that, an external to finish
That'll be all
Apologies for the briefness of this report, as said with time being limited and nature calling I made sure to go for the "big bits"
KP_
An Introduction
Whilst preparing for a holiday abroad it made sense to add a few large industrial sites into the pool of places that could be visited.
After logging a few generic factories and power stations the next focus was, by far the most to my interest, cement. A few articles came and went with only two hopeful leads that appeared too far away to visit.
Then, in a final ditch effort, a closed works less than a mile from the accommodation was soon found.
After unpacking it became quickly apparent that the view from the window looked upon this cement plant so my afternoon was spent sending Sbeve (the drone) on a journey over the works and around the mountains confirming that the details I had gathered were correct.
Drone Imagery
Looking south over the works as a whole.
The hardstanding for aggregate stock pile vacant on the centre left with the car park and admin just above (south). Numerous silos for finished product to the top with the later ball mills attached. The Kilns just off to the right and the workshops further west.
Looking directly down with North to the right and East to the base of the image.
-The workshops and laboratories to the upper left.
-The kilns' cooler end of the far left, driving gear centre, and the hot feed end to the right.
-Material store along the base with the newer ball mill to the left, rawmill/grinding mill central and older ball mill to the right.
History
Unlike most UK plants there isn't a great wealth of information surrounding this cement plant in specific which leaves me in the hands of news paper clippings more than anything else, which has lead to some confusion in my research.
Unfortunately, the only promising lead of a full history was a book on amazon with no means of purchase available.
Cementir.
Cementir is an Italian holdings company with their primary subsidiaries in Cement and Concrete around Italy and the surrounding nations of the EU, tracing their beginnings tracing back post world-war 2 around the steel industry.
Their first cement plant would open in 1952 before rapidly expanding during an economic boom in the late 1950's of Italy, collecting numerous other plants in the process with Arquata looking to be one of their own constructions.
The Plant
There is not clear date for the plants' start of operational life apart from its' incorporation into Cementir around 1950-60 although other sources suggest 1960-1 with the closure seeing the end of a supposed 60 years in operation.
Historical Image, creator unknown, presumably from a local historian or Cementir judging by the composition.
The design of the plant consists of the usual components needed for production including ball mills and grinding mills, Kilns (with one decommissioned and replaced), clinker stores, silos and so on. Unlike most plants we are familiar with there is no nearby quarry or pit where raw materials are excavated negating the need of wash-mills, instead a former railway line within the works point to a former connection with rail freight before movement to conveyor systems directly connecting to the mainline yard.
The initial kiln has been left in place after its decommissioning and simply cut off from its chimney leaving it standing dormant along with its associated grinding mills. The second Kiln is as it would have been in operation comprising of the same basic design to Kiln 1 with the clinker coolers underneath the bottom end in a similar fashion to Shoreham although the coolers look to be of a grated system.
Both kilns, judging from their makers' plates and those on the ball mill equipment, are supplied from the Danish firm of FLSmidth commonly seen in older plants worldwide with specific UK cousins such as Barrington or South Ferriby with the latter being closer in design.
An Approximate timeline
With opening in around 1960 the plant would begin operation under the direct control of Cementir, with the buildings in place not seeing much change until closure with the exception of a second kiln being added some time before the turn of the millennium. The most notable feature was the large logo painted onto the silos along with administration offices bridging over the weigh bridges.
It would appear later in the plants' life, specifically around 2015, that numerous issues would arise between plant management and trade unions over working conditions with economic conditions playing a major component to downturns in plant maintenance and safety infrastructure at the forefront of issues.
Ownership and operation would change numerous times in the lead up to 2020 with Cementir transferring their operations to Caltagirone in around 2018 and then later transferring the works to Italcementi before changing to the final operator, Buzzi Unicem, in mid-to-late 2019.
Within this the plant was still suffering from poor management choices and failing agreements between themselves and trade unions leaving a small workforce onsite as attentions were more focused onto the better suited sister plant at Novi Ligure stimulating fears for Arquata.
The final blow to the plant would come in the midst of Coivd-19 seeing the downturn in construction leaving the now dated plant on the chopping board along with the small remaining crew of 22. Closure would occur from January to March of 2021 leaving the plant vacant since.
The visit
Taking the opportunity of a day free to do nothing but holidaying a quick morning excursion saw us hopping the fences into the works for a visit intended to take no more than an hour or so. Surprisingly there is nothing to speak of with the works relatively quiet although a few remnant cameras did keep us in check along with the buzzing of power distribution panels.
Starting off with the lower section of the Kilns.
The final operational kiln. An FLSmidth semi-dry system.
Both kilns side to side with the exhausts in the distance.
The drive gear half way along.
The upper sections of the Kilns
Kilns side by side with most of the industry shielding them from the town.
Under the newer kilns with the control block between the supports.
Part of the exhaustion system which is used to pre-heat the rawmix before deposition into the atmosphere. Similar in regards to a turbo-charger which reuses exhaust gases to increase output, just without a turbine.
The control Block
To aid in the hurt of disappointment I had already packed away the camera before squeezing into the block which meant i didn't have to lug my camera around for this. Unfortunately, my phone is shit.
The Material Store
The Mills
Starting off with the newer grinding mill to the left of the drone image.
The Raw Mill at the centre of the drone image.
Next up was the oldest grinding mill which was visually much more appealing.
Pure cement epic
Finalising the report are the laboratory and workshops starting with:
The Laboratory
The Workshops
With that, an external to finish
That'll be all
Apologies for the briefness of this report, as said with time being limited and nature calling I made sure to go for the "big bits"
KP_
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