Coking plant Jan Šverma (decommissioned)

Coking plant Jan Šverma operated a single battery with 72 chambers, each with a capacity of 11.3 tonnes of coke, until the end of 2010. The duration of the coking process per chamber at the battery was 18 hours. The annual production of coking plant Jan Šverma was approximately 400,000 to 420,000 tonnes of coke. Coking battery No. 3 at the plant was decommissioned in May 2009.

History

Today’s coking plant Jan Šverma was founded in what is now the Ostrava quarter of Mariánské Hory in 1890. It originally took the name of “Ignát”, after a contemporaneously dug pit of what later became the Ignát Mine. The coking plant was originally intended as an integral part of the mine, then a part of mining company Těžařství Vladimíra Vondráčka a spol. Back then, it was the largest coking plant in the whole mining district. For example, in 1896, the plant had 74 employees who produced approximately 48,500 tonnes of coke.

In 1918, the plant became an independent enterprise. The original batteries of the Otto Koppers and Still designs were replaced with SA-type batteries between 1959 and 1962, and with S1-type batteries in 1967 and 1974. The plant produced mainly coke used as a fuel and reducing agent in blast furnaces. The plant’s production was used domestically and exported to Hungary, Switzerland, Germany, Austria and Poland. Coal gas, a byproduct of the coking process, was used by nitrogen factories, a power plant and the Vítkovice ironworks. Other byproducts included benzol, tar and ammonium sulphate.

Following intricate developments, the plant became a part of the company Ostravsko karvinské koksovny in 1952, sharing the history of the company afterwards. Upon the inception of Ostravsko karvinské koksovny, coking plant Jan Šverma operated a coal washing station, coking batteries Nos. 1, 2, and 3, and an Ibing-type steam benzol station.

History of commissioning and decommissioning of individual batteries at Jan Šverma:

Battery No.	Year of commissioning	Year of decommissioning	Year of commissioning	Year of decommissioning	Year of commissioning
1	1942 S+P- S	1975
2	1944 S+P- S	1975
3	1923 S- O	1959	1962 S- K	1985	1985 S- K
4	1926 S- K	1959	1967 S- K	1990	1991 S- K
5			1975 S- K	1993