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Zollverein Coking Plant
Saturday, July 07, 2001; posted by Paris
Following a couple of hours at the Zollverein mines, we went to the Zollverein Coking Plant. The plant was built between 1957-1961 and is next to Shaft XII of the Zollverein coal mine. At its peak, the plant produced 5000 tons of coke each day and employed about 1000 people. It was one of the biggest and most modern plants in the world. As the need for coke diminished, the plant was forced to close in 1993. Since 1998, it has been a site of the Stiftung Industriedenkmalpflege und Geschichtskultur.
The plant was designed by Fritz Schupp and is recognized by his use of cubic forms and steel framework constructions. The coke ovens are 800m long and have preserved as a historical landmark. Coke production is based on the cooking of mineral coal at 1000 degrees centigrade, without air for about 17 hours. The finished product is used as fuel for blast furnaces. By-products of this coking process are ammonia, benzol and tar which are sold to chemical companies for further use.
As we wandered through the plant, we got into some 'closed' areas, and even found ourselves looking up from the base inside a 100+ foot tall smokestack. Foundation Website.
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Belt conveyor bridges.
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Strange to see a swimming pool built in the middle of this site. It also housed a small museum and cafe/bar with DJ. The building behind is part of the blending plant.
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Coal conveyors, smokestacks and reflecting pool.
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Doors in a control room.
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Coke oven batteries and the wheel ride.
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