Stanton Ironworks Demolition
As the Central Melting Plant at Stanton Ironworks, Ilkeston, Derbyshire, was demolished in 2009/10, it's huge cupola furnace was finally revealed.
Construction started on the CMP (originally the Iron Refining Plant) in 1965 in order to have a plant that could covert the high phosphorus iron the Company's blast furnaces were producing into low phosphorus foundry iron by means of a 70 ton Swedish designed Kaldo convertor.
It didn't turn out to be the success the Company hoped as the process turned out to be far too expensive and after only two years was scrapped and the plant converted to producing iron from 100% scrap via this single cupola.