Stepney Gas Works
From London's Ghost Acres
Revision as of 11:07, 18 January 2016 by EliseLehmann (Talk | contribs)
Operation
1844 to 1945
Location
Located in
Produced
Gas, Coke, Tar, Ammonia, Sulphur
Used Raw Materials
|1839 |1945 |Commercial Gas Company |-
|1839
|1945
|Coal Gas Industry
|-
Description
Construction began at the Stepney Works in 1839 and the works were fully operational by 1844. In 1846 the works were expanded. In 1912 an internal railway was built to more easily transfer coal around the large site. Gas production stopped in 1945 and the works were demolished in 1952.
Gas works were used to produce and store flammable coal gas. Coal was mined in Britain and then shipped on a barge up rivers or on trains to the gas works. There it was burned to create the gas, which was then purified and put into the gas holders until needed for consumer use to light streets and buildings. The process also created coke, tar, ammonia, and sulphur as by-products.