This steel factory ‘Société Anonyme Métallurgique d’Espérance-Longdoz’ in Chertal was built in 1963. The factory produced more than 3,5 million tons of steel per year. From 2011 production started to decrease due to the crisis.
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In 1845 the Dothée brothers established a tinplate factory in Longdoz in Liege. Later, the company became the largest Belgian producer of sheet metal. The plant in Longdoz, however could not expand. In 1963 a new plant was built on a greenfield site at a reclaimed floodplain island site at Chertal.
Linz-Donawitz process
The plant was supplied from blast furnaces Seraing HF6 and Ougrée HFB, 22 km away by torpedo wagons. The steel was produced by the Linz-Donawitz process. This is a primary steelmaking process for converting molten pig iron into steel by blowing oxygen through a lance over the molten pig iron inside a converter. Exothermic heat is generated by the oxidation reactions during blowing. The site had also facilities for iron desulphurization, vacuum treatment and much more.
The company was sold to ‘Cockerill-Ougrée-Providence’ in 1970 to form ‘Cockerill-Ougrée-Providence et Espérance Longdoz’. Later it became part of ‘Cockerill-Sambre’, ‘Usinor’ and ultimately ‘Arcelor’ and finally ‘ArcelorMittal’ though the mergers of its parent companies. Production briefly stopped in from May to April 2009 due to the economic downturn caused by the financial crisis of 2007–2010. In October 2011 ArcelorMittal announces the closure of almost the entire hot phase of Cockerill. Both blast furnaces HF6 and HFB, and this Chertal plant were doomed. More than 600 direct jobs were lost. I visited ‘Métallurgique d’Espérance-Longdoz Chertal‘ also known as ‘Heavy Metal’ by photographers in 2019.
Built 1963
Abandoned 2015
Endangered
Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view.In 1963 this factory was built on a greenfield site at a reclaimed floodplain island site at Chertal.
Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view.Melting pots in the ‘Heavy Metal’ factory in Liège.
Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view.Factory announcements.
Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view.The huge derelict hall of the steel plant.
Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view.Urban exploring in Liège.
Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view.Heavy tools for raw industry.
Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view.Big industrial oven.
Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view.‘Cornue I’.
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Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view.‘Cone’ and ‘Ceinture’.
Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view.A view inside the huge steel plant in Belgium.
Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view.Steel ovens.
Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view.Massive cranes to move the melting pots.
Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view.Urban exploring the Belgian steel industry.
Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view.Steel industry urbex.
Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view.Control room.
Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view.Control room with a view at production.
Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view.Three in a row.
Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view.Huge melting pots inside the factory.
Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view.Rusty steel plant.
