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Report - - Tullis Russell Papermakers, Glenrothes, Scotland - June 2016 | Industrial Sites | 28DaysLater.co.uk

Report - Tullis Russell Papermakers, Glenrothes, Scotland - June 2016

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Exploring with Andy

Behind Closed Doors
Staff member
Moderator
This was one place I had high-hopes for, with over 200 years of history the mill had plenty of potential for classic old industrial goodness, but progress has done its thing and most of the older buildings have been replaced with new. Don't get me wrong, it's a big and interesting place with plenty to see, but just lacks the character of many of the other old mills around the UK. The production areas are very modern and almost fully intact, but the older parts that are still standing appear to have been stripped out and cleared many years ago. The oldest areas of the site were demolished in the early 2010s to make way for a biomass power station.

Pull up a chair, you'll be scrolling for a while...

Visited with @SpiderMonkey

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Power station chimneys and the main building through the trees.

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Aerial view of the site in 1931 with Auchmuty mill towards the top, Rothes mill bottom left and the powerhouse on the right​

History

The first paper mill in Fife, Rothes Mill, was established in 1804 on the banks of the River Leven. Robert Tullis founded the company that would later become Tullis Russell in 1809 and built the Auchmuty Mill on land adjacent to Rothes Mill, and by 1836 had acquired Rothes Mill as well.

Work started on a power station in 1912 to provide electricity and steam to the paper works. This project was completed in 1914 and the building was enlarged in 1921.

The site was steadily expanded over the years, and in 1979 the company opened its fifth paper-making production line.

In 2011 substantial damage worth £1 million was caused to the paper mill in a series of fires which lasted almost 24 hours. At the height of the incident, 40 firefighters were battling the flames. A 31-year-old man was jailed for three and a half years after pleading guilty to wilful fire-raising.

It emerged in 2014 the company had sold 126,000 tonnes of paper, recording a turnover of £124.6 million but suffering a pre-tax loss of £3.4 million. The company had sustained losses totalling £18 million over a five year period and by 2015 had no option but to call in the administrators. 325 employees were made redundant.


No. 5 Paper Machine

Machine 5 was the newest and largest of the paper making machines at Tulliss Russell

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The roller section of the machine is covered by an enclosure

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Close-up of the rollers

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Inside the roller enclosure

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The machine was split between two levels, next we see below the machine

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Numerous pieces of ancillary equipment were spread around the building...

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High voltage switchgear


Finishing equipment was installed at the far end of the building...

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No. 4 Paper Machine

The next building contained the older paper machine no. 4 which was largely dismantled and stripped.​

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Continued...
 
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Exploring with Andy

Behind Closed Doors
Staff member
Moderator
Auchmuty Beater House

An older building than the ones that house the paper machines above, the Auchmuty Beater House is where dry pulp or broke (known as the furnish when added to water in the pulper) stored prior to pulping in water in the 'broke' pulper for paper machines A4 and A5. The pulp was fed up the elevators and into the broke pulpers which sat at the top. Water was added and the water and pulp mixed together prior to pumping into holding chests, refiners and cleaners and onto A4 and A5 paper making machines


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Workers opening bales of esparto grass

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Elevator for loading materials into the 'broke' pulpers

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Electrical Department Switch Room

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The lab and offices were a bit boring...

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Continued...
 

Exploring with Andy

Behind Closed Doors
Staff member
Moderator
Markinch Power Station

One of the oldest remaining parts of the site, the power station was much more characterful than the main mill. These images were taken over two visits, the first with @darbians in May, and then popped back after looking around the main areas of the paper mill with @SpiderMonkey.

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The powerhouse in 1955​

History

The Markinch Power Station was built to provide electricity and steam to the paper mill. Construction began in 1912 and was completed in 1914.

Originally consisting of four Stirling boilers supplying steam to two British Westinghouse turbo-generators. The power station was enlarged in 1921 to add another two units. The boilers and turbines were replaced in 1951 with 3 x International Combustion boilers supplying 3 x 5000kw Parsons turbine and generator sets. The ability to co-fire oil along with coal was also introduced at the same time. The powerhouse was then expanded once again and a fourth, larger Parsons turbine was added.

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Turbine hall with original Westinghouse sets

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Turbine hall in 1951 after the new Parsons sets had been installed​

In 1979 David Russell expressed his concerns about energy shortages and suggests that Tullis Russell must save coal. He devised a method of continuous working to avoid closing down at weekends which saved 70 tonnes of coal. He also started looking for an alternative to burning oil.

In 1999 one of the boilers was converted to run on gas, but it was realised that cleaner and cheaper energy was still required. In 2012 RWE invested in the Glenrothes site to build a biomass power station to replace the ageing coal plant. The new plant provided both steam and power to Tullis Russell, and made the old plant obsolete. The biomass plant remains in operation providing electricity to the National Grid.

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The larger Parsons set was added later and sits on a raised plinth

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Below the turbines

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The more modern, but basic control room was a later addition

The original control panels still remain around the turbine hall...

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Finally we have a quick look at the International Combustion boilers in the boiler house...

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No. 2 boiler in 1955

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The "powerhouse library" provided us with a good rummage.​
 
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host

28DL Full Member
28DL Full Member
you sir are a f-in legend, thats one hell of a report. Well done on getting the site so well covered.
 

Speed

Got Epic?
Regular User
Didn't spot that little office. Bet theres some turbine diagrams in there!

The bit that frustrated me was the workshops next door to the powerhouse. Did you try them?
 

Exploring with Andy

Behind Closed Doors
Staff member
Moderator
Didn't spot that little office. Bet theres some turbine diagrams in there!

The bit that frustrated me was the workshops next door to the powerhouse. Did you try them?

The door from the turbine hall to the workshops was wide open! We had a little look around but there was nothing of interest.
Yep, there were turbine diagrams. Unfortunately the drawers for large-scale plans were all empty - they would have been the most interesting ones.
 
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