Limerick

Location:

Clinker manufacture operational: 1938 to date

Approximate total clinker production to 2022: 43 million tonnes (7th)

Raw materials from the same quarries as used by Derrylin at 627200, 821300, Mucklagh townland, County Cavan, only 0.75 km from the plant:

Ownership:

Alternatively called Castlemungret Works. The company was begun as a joint venture between the Eire government and Tunnel/FLS. The plant started up simultaneously with Drogheda. It started out half the size of Drogheda but because of plentiful and good raw materials, it became larger than its sister plant despite its far smaller local market. The plant had from the outset a purpose-built 5.3 km spur which allowed easy rail communication with the south and west of Ireland, and Dublin (205 km).

Please contact me with any relevant information or corrections. I am particularly interested in firmer dates and statistics.

Note: technical information on currently operational plants is ✄withheld in the public version of the site at present.

Power supply

The plant was entirely electrically powered from the ESB grid from the outset.

Rawmills

The original plant had a washmill producing clay slurry at the clayfield. This was pumped to the plant and inter-ground with crushed limestone in an FLS 485 kW ball mill. Subsequent similar mills were added as kilns 2 and 3 were added: subsequent developments unknown. Kiln 6 uses an FLS air-swept ball mill.

Six rotary kilns were installed:

Kiln A1

Supplier: FLS
Operated: 01/04/1938-1977
Process: Wet
Location:

Dimensions (from cooler ports): metric 94.00 × 3.000B / 2.400C / 3.000D
Rotation (viewed from firing end): ?
Slope: ?
Speed: ?
Drive: ?
Kiln profile (from cooler ports): -2700×3000: 26000×3000: 28000×2400: 61000×2400: 63000×3000: 93250×3000: 93250×2550: 94000×2550: Tyres at 3350, 13450, 29450, 47650, 66850, 85750: Turning gear at 32150?.
Cooler: Unax planetary 12 × 6.00 × 1.060
Fuel: Coal, except 1960-1973 Oil
Coal Mill: ?
Exhaust: ID fan direct to stack: Lodge Cottrell electrostatic precipitator added 1940.
Typical Output: 250 t/d
Typical Heat Consumption: 7.11 MJ/kg


Kiln A2

Supplier: FLS
Operated: 1954-1983
Location:

Dimensions (from cooler ports): metric ?98.00 × 3.450B / 3.300C / 3.600D
Rotation (viewed from firing end): ?
Slope: ?
Speed: ?
Drive: ?
Kiln profile (from cooler ports): .
Cooler: Unax planetary
Fuel: Coal, except 1960-1973 Oil
Coal Mill: ?
Exhaust: ID fan to electrostatic precipitator then stack.
Typical Output: 354 t/d
Typical Heat Consumption: 7.60 MJ/kg


Kiln A3

Supplier: FLS
Operated: 1961-1983
Location:

Dimensions (from cooler ports): metric ?128.00 × 3.300BC / 3.450D
Rotation (viewed from firing end): ?
Slope: ?
Speed: ?
Drive: ?
Kiln profile (from cooler ports): .
Cooler: Unax planetary
Fuel: Coal, except 1960-1973 Oil
Coal Mill: ?
Exhaust: ID fan to electrostatic precipitator then stack.
Typical Output: 405 t/d
Typical Heat Consumption: 6.66 MJ/kg


Kiln A4

Supplier: FLS
Operated: 1964-1983
Process: Wet
Location:

Dimensions (from cooler ports): metric ?135.00 × 3.600BC / 3.950D
Rotation (viewed from firing end): ?
Slope: ?
Speed: ?
Drive: ?
Kiln profile (from cooler ports): no information
Cooler: Unax planetary 10 × 11.50 × 1.400
Fuel: Oil 1961-1973: Coal 1973-1983
Coal Mill: ?
Typical Output: 554 t/d
Typical Heat Consumption: 6.74 MJ/kg


Kiln A5

Supplier: FLS
Operated: 1965-1983
Process: Wet
Location:

Identical in all other respects to A4


Kiln A6

Supplier: FLS
Operated: 1983 to date
Process: air-through precalciner: details ✄
Location: hot end (cooler ports) 553381,654807: cold end 553314,654841: unenclosed
Dimensions: ✄
Rotation (viewed from firing end): anti-clockwise
Slope: ?
Speed: ?
Drive: ?
Kiln profile: ✄
Cooler: planetary: details ✄
Fuel: coal, eventually supplanted by petcoke.
Coal mill: ✄
Exhaust: ✄
Typical Output: ✄
Typical Heat Consumption: ✄



Sources: