Report - Rhodia Chemical Plant, Avonmouth - Sept 2009

[tumbles]

Kinda overlooked this one till it was too late. Avonmouth was full of dereliction at the time. I was always taken by the rather beautiful Edwardian administration block here. The site had been used since 1917 and went under various company names throughout the years - Aluminium Sulphar Limited, ISC Chemicals, Alumnia Company and in the final few yeas was just part of Franco-Belgian company Rhodia's anaesthetics business produced the anaesthetic gases halothane and isoflurane. . Closure came around late 2006. Around this time many of the chemical companies at Avonmouth closed down - Sevlanco, Albright & Wilson to name just two others. The docks would transform itself to accommodate more cars coming overseas - traditionally Portbury Docks over the other side of the Avon had this gig but the land was cheaper on Avonmouth side. The site had a bit of everything, a lovely admin block, a very art deco engineering block and then pure industrial porn out the back with pipes, valves and lots of things I had no idea what they did. It even had its own branch line linked to the Severn beach mainline (long since disused, probably 1980's at least).

Shortly after this visit the site was leveled and a new Asda Distribution Depot was built to replace the aging depot at Portbury Docks.

Visited with Scotty and the lesser spotted Sinnerman. Two Scott's don't make a right, right?

Pics:

 

[urbanchemist]

I realise its gone, but is this the only report on the place?

 

[tumbles]

I realise its gone, but is this the only report on the place?

Probably is unfortunately. It was pretty much leveled about 3-4 weeks after this.

 

[Calamity Jane]

Another good report from the back cat. Nice work. Some good shots of the plant. Will be important in years to come. Good to see they made another war memorial.

 

[Seffy]

So this was where the Asda depot is? Well you learn something new everyday and all!

 

[tumbles]

So this was where the Asda depot is? Well you learn something new everyday and all!

Yep, and look how big it was - I have no idea why we only did a tiny bit of it, the place was frigging huge!

 

[Seffy]

Yep, and look how big it was - I have no idea why we only did a tiny bit of it, the place was frigging huge!

Jesus! Is that St Andrews road on the upper left?

 

[tumbles]

Jesus! Is that St Andrews road on the upper left?

Yes. For context the only bits explored in yellow

 

[Speed]

You wouldn't believe the number of places like this that got totally missed let alone partially. Thats what happens when everyone just goes to west park every weekend

 

[tumbles]

You wouldn't believe the number of places like this that got totally missed let alone partially. Thats what happens when everyone just goes to west park every weekend

Think in this instance there was just too much on offer at time. Half of Avonmouth was derelict !

 

[GCW]

Really myths me why they couldn’t repurpose that beautiful building! Worlds gone mad!

 

[crashed.out]

Great report and photos - thank you very much for posting it. As a chemical engineer who started their career when we used to have a chemical industry, it breaks my heart to see how little is left today. I don't think Joe Public realise how good at this we used to be and how much we used to have. Anyway - trying to unpick what some of the processes are to fill in a few blanks for you.

The shots you've got of the 2,4 DFNB holding tanks are almost certainly from ISC's (International Smelting Corporation) halogenated organics intermediates business. 2,4 DFNB is 2,4 di-fluoronitrobenzene - can be used as a building block for pharmaceuticals and agrochemicals. It's really nasty stuff - highly flammable and toxic through inhalation and skin absorbtion (respiratory suppressant). The other shots I still haven't quite got to the bottom of - I know Avonmouth had a large zinc blast furance and did quite a bit of metal processing, so I'm assuming the alumina chutes and iron hopper are part of one of the associated processes.

Incidentally, mustard gas used to be made on site there for WW1 - apparently an old shell was uncovered when building ASDA and Porton Down got involved. Must have been quite exciting...

 

[tumbles]

Great report and photos - thank you very much for posting it. As a chemical engineer who started their career when we used to have a chemical industry, it breaks my heart to see how little is left today. I don't think Joe Public realise how good at this we used to be and how much we used to have. Anyway - trying to unpick what some of the processes are to fill in a few blanks for you.

The shots you've got of the 2,4 DFNB holding tanks are almost certainly from ISC's (International Smelting Corporation) halogenated organics intermediates business. 2,4 DFNB is 2,4 di-fluoronitrobenzene - can be used as a building block for pharmaceuticals and agrochemicals. It's really nasty stuff - highly flammable and toxic through inhalation and skin absorbtion (respiratory suppressant). The other shots I still haven't quite got to the bottom of - I know Avonmouth had a large zinc blast furance and did quite a bit of metal processing, so I'm assuming the alumina chutes and iron hopper are part of one of the associated processes.

Incidentally, mustard gas used to be made on site there for WW1 - apparently an old shell was uncovered when building ASDA and Porton Down got involved. Must have been quite exciting...

Thanks for that - agree with what you say re Chemical Industry - my dad spent his entire working life as a paint chemist. Worked for several co’s over the years including Berger and Cuprinol. Now a days there is little left like you say, a lost skill just like many of our engineering co’s

 

[crashed.out]

Thanks for that - agree with what you say re Chemical Industry - my dad spent his entire working life as a paint chemist. Worked for several co’s over the years including Berger and Cuprinol. Now a days there is little left like you say, a lost skill just like many of our engineering co’s

Yeah, in many ways the skill and knowledge loss is even worse than the loss of hardware. ICI, Cortaulds, Albright&Wilson and many others used to be incredible centres of engineering and research excellence. I can remember as a pre-uni youngster having a secondment in ICI's research and technology outfit in Runcorn - frightening bunch!! It was a bunch of folk who'd each come top in their uni class for the past 40 years! I think even within the industry they were regarded with equal measures of awe and fear - with some divisions even finding working with unis easier!! Oh well.

If you've got any more shots squirreled away, it'd be great to see them. Cheers!

 

[GremlinxSB]

Yes. For context the only bits explored in yellow

The whole site was about 70 acres, with boundaries at St Andrews Road, Kings Weston Lane and then parallel to KWL the boundary with what was Commonwealth Smelting/Pasminco