News on Screen

Series

Series Name

Mining Review 10th Year

Issue

Issue No.

1

Date Released

Sep 1956

Stories in this Issue:

• 1. RUSSIAN VISIT NO. 2
• 2. AVENUE
• 3. AREA PROFILE: EAST MIDLANDS NO. 3 EDWINSTOWE

Story

Story No. within this Issue

2 / 3

Summary

BFI synopsis: the coke and by-product plant near Chesterfield. Preview of the Coal Board’s largest Coking and By-Products Plant, outside Chesterfield
NCB Commentary - Three miles out of Chesterfield the new Avenue Coking Plant is opening for business. Into this 200 acre site, the Coal Board’s largest Carbonisation and Chemical Plant, roll thousands of tons of coal a day from all over the East Midlands for processing.
First function of the Plant is to produce coke. Incoming coal moves across from Storage Bunkers to the 106 Coking Ovens capable of carbonising over 2000 tons of coal a day.
As the white-hot coke passes into the Quenchers and the cold water comes flooding down, the familiar cloud of steam spouts from the top of the tower.
But the story doesn’t end there. By-products from the coke ovens move on a stage further to the Tar and Amonia Condensers.
Next step is a short one - to where the Napthalene and Benzole are condensed.
The gas from the ovens then passes through Oxide Purifiers which remove the Sulphur Compounds.
Now the purified gas goes in two directions - 40% going back to heat the Coke Ovens, while the remaining 60% goes to a gas-holder to be sold to the local Gas Board.
Second big section of the Plant is the Tar Refinery. From here come Road Tar, Pitch, Creosote and Napthalene for the Plastics Industry. This is where Benzole is refined for Motor Spirit and for the Chemical industry.
In this section of the Plant, SUlphur in the Oxide is turned to Sulphuric Acid and here Amonia Sulphate for fertilizer is produced.
So from Avenue Plant goes a whole family of chemical and industrial by-products. And all the time research goes on to make them better.
By night Avenue Plant takes on the look of a Christmas Tree. Coke making is a continuous process and at any hour in the 24 white hot coke will be cascading out of the batteries of ovens.
Now that production is starting up, in anticipation of October’s official opening, Avenue will never sleep. The increasing demand for smokeless fuels and for the whole range of by-products which are extracted from coal will keep the men of Avenue busy round the clock for many years to come.

Researcher Comments

Commentary recorded 7th August 1956.

Keywords

Industry and manufacture; Mining; Fuels

Locations

Derbyshire; England; Chesterfield

Written sources

British Film Institute Databases   Used for synopsis
Film User   Vol.11 No.123 January 1957, p30.
The National Archives COAL 32   /12 Scripts for Mining Review, 1956-1960

Credits:

Production Co.

Documentary Technicians Alliance

Sponsor

National Coal Board