History
The area where today’s coke works are located was purchased by the “Societe Anonyme John Cockerill” in 1882 and there have been several coke work incarnations since then. The current coke works were build in 1957, shortly after the “Societe Anonyme John Cockerill” merged with “Societe Anonyme Ougree-Marihaye” to form the “Societe Anonyme Cockerill-Ougree”. For a history of the “SA Cockerill” see Cockerill-Sambre, Ougree. The Ougree Coke Works were equipped with 4 Krupp-Koppers oven batteries, which were installed in 1967 and 1983 and totalled 139 ovens. In 2010 the number of ovens was increased to 185 due to the restart of the “Haut Fourneau B (HFB)” . At the height of its production the coke works produced 800000 tonnes of metallurgical coke per year. However, the HFB closed down for good in 2011, sealing the fate of the Ougree Coke Works, which closed their doors in 2014. Like most steelworks and factories in Liege this one is on its way out, although I think it will be the last to be demolished becuase of the high levels of pollution.
The explore
Like its more famous cousin the HBF in Liege this site is pretty huge and I spend about two days in there trying to cover most of it and I still did not see everything. Unlike the HBF, however, getting in was pretty straightforward and I did not see any security whatsoever. Visited with friends (non-members) and I have to say this was a very enjoyable explore and if I lived a bit closer I would not mind going back.
Some Outside Views
1) The Ougree Coke Works
2)Coke ovens and charging tower to the left with the cole silos to the right.
3)View of the two coke silos.
4) Roof of one of the coke oven batteries
5) The silos and coke ovens.
The Coal Silos
6) View of the coal mill in the foreground and the water tower and the coal silos in the background. The water tower has two bassins one with a volume of 168 cubic meters and one
with a volume of 332 cubic meters. The coal silos had a capacity of about 11000 tonnes. While some coal was delivered to the Ougree Coke Works by train, most of the it arrived by
ship via the River Meuse, the port being located just outside the coke works.
7) Area between the two coke silos.
8) Conveyor inside the oldest of the two coke silos.
9) Inside the oldest of the two silos...
10) Inside the oldest of the two silos.
The coal mill
After its arrival, the coal got pulverised to a size of about 2mm before being deposited in the cola silos.
11) Coal Mill No 1.
12) Coal Mill No 2
13) Old and dusty control panel
The coke ovens and charging tower
14) Conveyor inside the charging tower
15) View of the charging car.
16) View of the charging car.
17) Gallery of fuel injectors. These injected gas into the flues that heat the coke ovens. They are located on both sides of the coke oven batteries just below the ovens.
18) Another gallery of gas injectors
19) These are the extractors that extract the coke gas gas from the coke ovens.
20) This basement is located immediately below the coke ovens and was used for mainetance purposes.
21) Close up of the coke ovens.
22) Coke side view of the coke works. The coke transfer car and the quencher car (i.e. the machines that was used to empty the coke ovens) ran on these rails.
23) The pusher car. This is a rarity as not many of these are still in existance...
Thanks for looking...
The area where today’s coke works are located was purchased by the “Societe Anonyme John Cockerill” in 1882 and there have been several coke work incarnations since then. The current coke works were build in 1957, shortly after the “Societe Anonyme John Cockerill” merged with “Societe Anonyme Ougree-Marihaye” to form the “Societe Anonyme Cockerill-Ougree”. For a history of the “SA Cockerill” see Cockerill-Sambre, Ougree. The Ougree Coke Works were equipped with 4 Krupp-Koppers oven batteries, which were installed in 1967 and 1983 and totalled 139 ovens. In 2010 the number of ovens was increased to 185 due to the restart of the “Haut Fourneau B (HFB)” . At the height of its production the coke works produced 800000 tonnes of metallurgical coke per year. However, the HFB closed down for good in 2011, sealing the fate of the Ougree Coke Works, which closed their doors in 2014. Like most steelworks and factories in Liege this one is on its way out, although I think it will be the last to be demolished becuase of the high levels of pollution.
The explore
Like its more famous cousin the HBF in Liege this site is pretty huge and I spend about two days in there trying to cover most of it and I still did not see everything. Unlike the HBF, however, getting in was pretty straightforward and I did not see any security whatsoever. Visited with friends (non-members) and I have to say this was a very enjoyable explore and if I lived a bit closer I would not mind going back.
Some Outside Views
1) The Ougree Coke Works
2)Coke ovens and charging tower to the left with the cole silos to the right.
3)View of the two coke silos.
4) Roof of one of the coke oven batteries
5) The silos and coke ovens.
The Coal Silos
6) View of the coal mill in the foreground and the water tower and the coal silos in the background. The water tower has two bassins one with a volume of 168 cubic meters and one
with a volume of 332 cubic meters. The coal silos had a capacity of about 11000 tonnes. While some coal was delivered to the Ougree Coke Works by train, most of the it arrived by
ship via the River Meuse, the port being located just outside the coke works.
7) Area between the two coke silos.
8) Conveyor inside the oldest of the two coke silos.
9) Inside the oldest of the two silos...
10) Inside the oldest of the two silos.
The coal mill
After its arrival, the coal got pulverised to a size of about 2mm before being deposited in the cola silos.
11) Coal Mill No 1.
12) Coal Mill No 2
13) Old and dusty control panel
The coke ovens and charging tower
14) Conveyor inside the charging tower
15) View of the charging car.
16) View of the charging car.
17) Gallery of fuel injectors. These injected gas into the flues that heat the coke ovens. They are located on both sides of the coke oven batteries just below the ovens.
18) Another gallery of gas injectors
19) These are the extractors that extract the coke gas gas from the coke ovens.
20) This basement is located immediately below the coke ovens and was used for mainetance purposes.
21) Close up of the coke ovens.
22) Coke side view of the coke works. The coke transfer car and the quencher car (i.e. the machines that was used to empty the coke ovens) ran on these rails.
23) The pusher car. This is a rarity as not many of these are still in existance...
Thanks for looking...
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