Magheramorne

Location:

Clinker manufacture operational: 1914-1980

Approximate total clinker production: 11.0 million tonnes (37th).

Raw materials:

Ownership:

Lime was made and exported at this site on a fairly large scale for more than a century before BPCM bought it in 1911. Construction of the cement plant began immediately. The raw material, originally obtained from the chalk outcrop at the foot of the Antrim plateau, was subsequently obtained by stripping back up to 100 m of overlying basalt, this being tipped in Larne Lough, forming what is now a 70 Ha peninsula of reclaimed land. The plant was described in detail in the BPCM 1924 schedule.

From 1925, calcium aluminate cement was made, using a small water-cooled blastfurnace fed with chalk, Antrim bauxite and coke in lump form. This formed metallic iron as a by-product, and this had the advantage of reducing the otherwise high iron content of the local bauxite. Kiln A2 was appropriated in 1930 in an attempt to make calcium aluminate cement by sintering. It had to be replaced in 1934. The local bauxite deposit had been abandoned by the aluminium industry due to its low purity (high iron content) and this probably compromised the quality of the product compared to that of Lafarge, which also started UK manufacture (at West Thurrock) in 1926. Blue Circle re-sold the Lafarge product from 1932 onwards.

The plant was on the Belfast-Larne coastal railway line for communication with Belfast (33 km) but it had a deep water wharf on the lough and could export and import in quantity. The start-up of Platin A2 in 1977 forced a retrenchment. Uprating to a competitive low cost process was not feasible due to the escalating cost of quarrying, and the last kiln stopped in 1980. The plant remained in operation, grinding Plymstock surplus clinker, but this also ceased in 1984, as shipping of ready-ground cement proved cheaper. The remains of the plant functioned as an import terminal until 2001. The quarry is now flooded, with some of the raw milling plant standing half submerged. The production part of the plant site has been cleared although many features are still identifiable. The cement handling plant remains, awaiting redevelopment decisions.

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

Power Supply

The plant was entirely electrically powered from the outset, using turbo-generators. Around 1932, the plant was switched to purchased power from Larne.

Rawmills

Originally clay was slurried in a 30 HP washmill. There were three FLS Kominor 52 ball mills and three FLS No.20 tube mills grinding the chalk with the clay slip. These were followed by three Trix separators. In 1953, two Vickers Armstrong 900 kW raw ball mills were installed in the quarry.

Four rotary kilns were installed:

Kiln A1

Supplier: FLS
Operated: 10/1914 - 4/1978
Process: Wet
Location: hot end 343631,398790: cold end 343651,398791: hot end enclosed
Dimensions: Metric

Rotation (viewed from firing end): ?
Slope: 1/25 (2.292°)
Speed: ?
Drive: ?
Kiln profile:

Cooler: concentric rotary metric 10.80 × 1.500 / 1.350 / 2.100 beneath kiln: replaced in 1949 with part of Vectis A1 kiln: 62’3” × 7’4½” (metric 18.97 × 2.248)
Cooler profile:

Fuel: Coal
Coal mill: originally indirect: rotary drier followed by FLS Kominor C ball mill and Polysius tube mill common to A1 and A2 kilns: later direct: 52 kW No16 Atritor
Typical Output: 1914-1923 108 t/d: 1923-1935 139 t/d: 1935-1943 171 t/d: 1943-1951 140 t/d: 1951-1971 179 t/d: 1971-1978 168 t/d
Typical Heat Consumption: 1914-1923 9.38 MJ/kg: 1923-1935 8.63 MJ/kg: 1935-1971 7.48 MJ/kg: 1971-1978 6.78 MJ/kg


Kiln A2

Supplier: FLS
Operated: 12/1921-2/1934: periodically between 1927 and 1932 it made aluminous cement
Process: Wet
Location: hot end 343631,398799: cold end 343650,398801: hot end enclosed
Dimensions: Metric 50.00 × 2.700B / 2.400CD
Rotation (viewed from firing end): ?
Slope: 1/25 (2.292°)
Speed: ?
Drive: ?
Kiln profile: 0×1925: 700×1925: 700×2400: 2100×2400: 2100×2700: 9900×2700: 11925×2400: 50000×2400: Tyres at 1300, 13200, 27700, 44475
Cooler: “double-back” concentric rotary metric 10.8 × 1.500 / 1.350 / 2.100 beneath the kiln
Cooler profile: 0×1500: 4050×1500: 4050×1350: 10350×1350: 10800×2100: 4350×2100: tyre at 2700 with trunnion end bearing: turning gear at tail end.
Fuel: Coal
Coal mill: as A1
Typical Output: 131 t/d
Typical Heat Consumption: 8.9 MJ/kg


Kiln B2

Supplier: Vickers, previously British Standard A2: the shell was kept intact, but the tyres were moved to suit A2 piers.
Operated: 1934-6/1978
Process: Wet
Location: hot end 343631,398799: cold end 343690,398804: hot end enclosed
Dimensions: 195’4”× 9’10½”B / 9’0¼”C / 12’0”D (metric 59.54 × 3.010 / 2.750 / 3.658)
Rotation (viewed from firing end): ?
Slope: ?
Speed: ?
Drive: ?
Kiln profile: 0×2572: 1295×2572: 2946×3010: 14910×3010: 16129×2750: 49581×2750: 50648×3658: 55905×3658: 56972×2750: 59538×2750: Tyres at 2134, 17234, 31636, 48451, 57976.
Cooler: Rotary metric 23.22 × 2.400 cut from BE of old kiln A2, beneath kiln
Cooler profile: 0×1905: 1753×2400: 23216×2400: Tyres at 5182, 20152.
Fuel: Coal
Coal mill: direct: 67 kW No 16 Atritor
Typical Output: 1934-1942 276 t/d: 1942-1947 264 t/d: 1947-1961 294 t/d: 1961-1973 285 t/d: 1973-1978 267 t/d
Typical Heat Consumption: 1934-1942 7.57 MJ/kg: 1942-1947 7.32 MJ/kg: 1947-1957 7.60 MJ/kg: 1957-1961 7.14 MJ/kg: 1961-1968 7.65 MJ/kg: 1968-1973 7.93 MJ/kg: 1973-1978 7.25 MJ/kg


Kiln B3

Supplier: “made up” by Harland and Wolff using Metropolitan A1 (Vickers Armstrong) for the rear part. The burning zone is also of Vickers Armstrong design.
Operated: 10/1953-11/11/1980
Process: Wet
Location: hot end 343630,398808: cold end 343718,398816: unenclosed
Dimensions: 289’11¼”× 11’6”B / 10’6”CD (metric 88.37 × 3.505 / 3.200)
Rotation (viewed from firing end): ?
Slope: ?
Speed: ?
Drive: ?
Kiln profile: 0×3048: 2438×3505: 24790×3505: 27229×3200: 88373×3200: Tyres at 3353, 19101, 35789, 52457, 69145, 85706
Cooler: Rotary 97’6”× 8’4⅞” (metric 29.72 × 2.562) beneath kiln
Cooler profile: 0×2254: 2972×3016: 12116×3016: 13564×2562: 29718×2562: Tyres at 6299, 15443, 25832
Fuel: Coal
Coal mill: direct: 2 No.18 Atritors, 110 kW and 150 kW
Typical Output: 1953-1965 437 t/d: 1966-1976 467 t/d: 1977-1980 420 t/d
Typical Heat Consumption: 1953-1957 7.66 MJ/kg: 1957-1961 7.03 MJ/kg: 1961-1965 7.58 MJ/kg: 1966-1976 7.35 MJ/kg: 1977-1980 6.86 MJ/kg



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