Coking plant of Drocourt

The coking plant of Drocourt is located on three communes, Hénin-Beaumont, Rouvroy and Drocourt in the Pas-de-Calais. The main entrance is located in the street G. Capelle at Hénin-Beaumont (anc. Hénin-Liétard)

It was in activity during close to a siècle.
It was one of the largest coking plants in Europe.

Built at the time of the mining Companies, by the Company of the mines of Drocourt, then Mines of Vicoigne Noeux Drocourt, it will be then nationalized in 1946, like all coal industries in France.

Integrated in the Houillères of the Nord/Pas-de-Calais area (NORD/PAS-DE-CALAIS AREA) which exploit winding shafts, various factories of treatment of coal, Thermo plants, it will receive very important investments which will make of it a pillar and a window of coal industry.

In the beginning, on this site pits 1 or the Parisian one were, put in exploitation by Belgian industrialists in 1879. Pit 3 was it in 1895, in the east. A laundrette, the coking plant and a thermo plant were also established on this large square of the factories, then a benzole factory about 1950 (Norbenzol).

In 1939, it produces 700 tons of metallurgical coke in 4 batteries of 25 furnaces in very bad condition.

The NORD/PAS-DE-CALAIS AREA decide to modernize it and to make an important coking plant of it. Coal used comes then from all the Group of Hénin-Liétard.

As from 1956, the production is changed at 2000 tons per day and, in 1959, to 3000.

The startup of the battery n°2 in 1959 makes some most productive of France.

December 14th, 1962, the starting of the batteries n°33 & 34 door capacity of the coking plant to 3.900 tons of coke per day by using 5000 tons of coal.

November 21st, 1969, 2 new batteries, n°31 and 32, carrying the capacity of the factory to 5050 tons per day of cokes with 16 batteries adding up 407 furnaces using 6500 tons of coal per day: 550 workmen and 67 employees work there.

In 1988, the laundrette, supplied with seats 4/5 South and 3/15 of firm Méricourt and is dismantled. The Coking plant obtains a statute of autonomy and becomes a Company subsidiary of Charbonnages de France under the name " Cokes of Drocourt SA". It produces only foundry coke, all the furnaces producing of the metallurgical coke are stopped.

The capacity is of 1700 tons per day, that is to say a little more 600 000 tons per annum.

Since 2000, Charbonnages de France tries to sell or yield these industrielles.
activities The failure of the revival projects causes the progressive stop of the coking plant, the 1st line is stopped in June 2001.
The final adoption intervenes on March 25th, 2002, the last discharging of coke takes place, the coking plant is then plunged in silence is the abandonment during a few months until its complete demolition of 2002 in December 2003. The Quay of sale, the deposit of the locos and the shore, which were on other sites are also déconstruits.
No industrial facility, nor no building was preserved. Only, the spoil heaps make it possible to locate the site. The company " Cokes of Drocourt SA" is dissolved end 2003.

In June 2007 begins excavation work with the site of the laundrette of what will be the park of the Islands and which will take from now on the coal place of industries with Drocourt.

Random links: