Coke en Stock

January 2022

Founded in the first half of the 19th century, the industrial site on which the coking plant is located has actively contributed to the wealth of the region. And inevitably, its closure wreaked havoc on the city it made to thrive. Today, all that's left is a dying ruin.
Indeed, the dismantling has been going on for... 14 years ! The old coking plant is tired of this state oscillating between demolition and abandonment. Thus, we still find most of the buildings but some are no longer accessible following the demolition of the accesses, conveyors or walkways. Everywhere, we see shameless tears, leaving ugly scars on already bruised walls. Other buildings have been deliberately made inaccessible due to their dangerousness, including silos, where one can easily be buried under tons of material still present.

The visit therefore took place in the midst of facilities that were sometimes intact, sometimes dismantled.
The two batteries of the coke ovens are no longer accessible, at least in a careful manner. With 122 ovens, they have been looted (including the doors which were torn off) and haven't been visited. Fortunately, the other places are more accessible.

Coke is produced by firing charcoal at 1,250°C/2,282°F. This fuel is used in the manufacture of cast iron, which will then be transformed into steel. All these products are no longer made in Belgium. This industry was a great source of employment, and its disappearance from our country was a real cataclysm that plunged entire regions into poverty. Even though it's very polluting, new techniques have been able to greatly reduce the environmental impact. But anyway, all of these products are so much better bought halfway around the world.
Exploration of a site steeped in history and smells smelling of respiratory poisoning.