Location: Eastern Netherlands
Documentation date: Summer of 2020
I managed to get into this factory for an official photo job shortly after this place closed. Cleanup work is still in progress while I visit the huge terrain which spans 33 hectares.
If you want to take a look at this well known location yourself you can do so completely legal from a safe distance on a platform on a hill nearby, and even go for a hike in the former limestone surface mine next to the factory.
The mine borders hundreds of mine shafts that begin in the nearby hill. They are hundreds of years old and several kilometres long. You can go on guided tours through them, check out this blog post if you are interested in my exploration of the Zonneberg Caves!
Even though we are mostly driven around the compound by our makeshift guide my shoes quickly get coated with a thick layer of dust, remnants of the materials that were processed and produced here for almost a century.
The the oldest parts of the factory were built in 1927 and were the company’s first branch. They later went on to expand their business in several cities across the Netherlands. At its peak more than one million tons of cement were produced in this factory every year.
The 150 metre tall chimney hints at the enormous levels of CO² that were emitted here daily. The chimney is connected to a 180 metre long cement kiln, which was the central element in the production process of the cement and heated to up to 1450 degrees celsius. The kiln is the only one of its kind left in the Netherlands. The storage facilities were connected to loading docks at the river next to the factory, allowing for fast transportation by sea.
Sadly the time of our guide is very limited considering the sheer size of this compound. I would have very much liked to spend a few more hours exploring additional buildings.
Several entities advocate for the factory to become a cultural heritage site. If they are successful, parts of this area might be preserved and possibly used for cultural activities in the future, similar to the limestone mine. However, no final decision regarding the future of the factory has been made until now.
Click here to find out what equipment I use when photographing.
