Drogheda

Location:

Clinker manufacture operational: 1938-1977

Approximate total clinker production: 13.9 million tonnes (31st)

Raw materials:

Ownership:

The company was begun as a joint venture between the Eire government and Tunnel/FLS. Tunnel’s participation was conditional upon the government’s imposition of sufficient import duties on cement to prevent any effective competition. This and the Limerick plant were nominally started up on the same day, allegedly by a start button, connected by telegraph! The plant was replaced by the nearby Platin plant, cement manufacture being ended when the large Platin A2 kiln was commissioned. The plant had excellent wharf facilities allowing small vessels to unload cheap coal and to deliver cement to the coastal cities. A substantial proprtion of the clinker produced was exported, particularly to Tunnel's Clydebank grinding plant. In addition, the plant had from the outset a purpose-built 2.3 km spur which allowed easy rail communication with Dublin (55 km). The plant remained in operation (under new ownership) for sea-water magnesia production, with the result that it was still more or less intact in 2009. See 1963 photo album.

Power supply

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

Rawmills

Three rotary kilns were installed:

Kiln A1

Supplier: FLS
Operated: 29/04/1938-1976
Process: Wet
Location:

Dimensions (from cooler ports): metric 129.00 × 3.600B / 3.300C / 3.600D
Rotation (viewed from firing end): clockwise
Slope: ?
Speed: ?
Drive: ?
Kiln profile (from cooler ports): -3300×3600, 43000×3600, 45000×3300, 95000×3300, 97000×3600, 127700×3600, 127700×3150, 129000×3150: Tyres at 4000, 17500, 36750, 57750, 79500, 100250, 122000.
Cooler: Unax planetary 10 × 6.50 × 1.200
Fuel: Coal, except Oil during the 1960s
Coal Mill: semi-indirect: Tirax ball mill
Exhaust: ID fan direct to stack: Lodge Cottrell electrostatic precipitator added 1940. Dust returned below the chain zone.
Typical Output: 510 t/d
Typical Heat Consumption: 7.3 MJ/kg


Kiln A2

Operated: 9/1940-1976
Location:

Kiln profile (from cooler ports): -3300×3600, 43000×3600, 45000×3300, 90250×3300, 92250×3600, 127700×3600, 127700×3150, 129000×3150: Tyres at 4000, 26500, 49500, 72000, 96000, 120250.
Exhaust: ID fan through Lodge Cottrell electrostatic precipitator. Dust returned below the chain zone.
Typical Output: 515 t/d
Typical Heat Consumption: 7.35 MJ/kg
Identical in all other respects to A1


Kiln A3

Operated: 1954-24/12/1977
Location:

Dimensions: metric 136.00 × 3.600 / 3.300 / 3.600
Kiln profile:
Cooler: Folax grate
Exhaust: ID fan through Lodge Cottrell electrostatic precipitator. Dust returned below the chain zone.
Typical Output: 540 t/d
Typical Heat Consumption: 7.2 MJ/kg
Identical in all other respects to A1



Sources: