Blending global expertise with deep local roots, Calderys’ Ellesmere Port facility has become the UK’s premier hub for precast refractory solutions and high temperature project services – redefining what’s possible in advanced manufacturing and industrial maintenance.
Near the UK’s River Mersey, the town of Ellesmere Port is home to a powerhouse in innovation in precast refractory manufacturing and project services. The Calderys Ellesmere Port facility is the UK’s leading centre for refractory precasting, with experience in project maintenance and high performance product development.
The combination of Calderys and HarbisonWalker International (HWI) in 2023 brought together global expertise in materials and product innovation, while the site in the UK provides in-depth market knowledge and longstanding customer relationships. Together, this makes Ellesmere Port uniquely positioned to be a leader in high temperature industries in the UK and beyond.
FROM SHAPES TO SERVICES
The Ellesmere Port operation is a fusion of capability, flexibility and deep technical knowhow. At the core is its precast refractory facility – one of the largest in the UK – where pieces ranging from a kilogram in weight to an impressive fifteen tons are cast and cured.
“What sets us apart is our scale and technical depth,” explains Carl Kaighin, Calderys’ thermal commercial manager in the UK. “Our ovens can reach 815°C, allowing us to fully remove chemically combined water from the refractory shapes. That’s critical, because incomplete drying can lead to catastrophic failure in the field due to explosive steam buildup.”
Most UK precast shops are constrained by lifting and curing limits. Standard crane capacity often caps out at five tons, and conventional ovens typically peak at around 150°C – enough to drive out free water, but not the chemically bound moisture that poses risks under high heat service conditions. By contrast, the Ellesmere Port site offers a scale of operation and safety assurance unmatched in the region.
And it’s not just about precasting. The site also serves as a relining hub. Customers send entire furnaces, or specific components like doors, to the yard for refurbishment. It is often more efficient for customers, as they can rotate their spare units through the Ellesmere Port facility, minimising downtime in the process.
TECHNOLOGY MEETS TRADITION
Driving this capability is an investment in advanced design and manufacturing. Computer numerical control (CNC) routing and 3D printing are increasingly central to the operation.
Ellesmere Port has six 3D printers and in-house carpentry that allow fast prototyping and intricate casting designs – especially useful for products with complex internal geometries.
Kaighin explains: “We can produce trial moulds within days. 3D printing gives us precision and speed. If a customer needs a threaded interface or a non standard joint, we can print the mould and test cast it on site before committing to timber or metal tooling.”
The CNC timber cutter also brings a new level of precision to traditional tasks. “In the past, a five millimetre tolerance was considered acceptable for cast shapes,” Kaighin continues. “Now, we routinely work to sub two millimetre tolerances.”
Among the flagship products is JadeCast®, a high chrome block used primarily in the glass industry. These blocks are cast to incredibly tight tolerances (+2mm), demanding highly accurate moulds and specific process control – another area where Ellesmere Port shines.
“This is a newer market for us,” says Kaighin, “and our experience gained through Calderys and HWI coming together has been a major enabler.”
Equally significant is the CALDE® WIRE product and the CALDE® FD (Fast Dry) range. The latter’s linings are designed to cure using customers’ in-situ burners rather than external ovens, slashing installation to operation time from over one hundred hours to as little as 24 hours.
“That can save three to five days of outage on a major petrochemical site,” Kaighin notes – downtime that often costs millions of dollars.
IMPACT ACROSS INDUSTRIES
Much of Ellesmere Port’s strength lies in its project delivery. Around half of the workforce is dedicated to site based refractory projects across the UK, while the other half operates from the facility itself. That dual capability supports both emergency response and planned maintenance for a wide customer base.
“We’ve built our reputation on being able to respond fast,” reflects Kaighin. “It’s not uncommon for us to get a call in the evening and have boots on site by the next morning.”
Project work spans sectors, but ‘energy from waste’, petrochemical and secondary aluminium dominate the revenue stream.
“We’ve worked at every major UK refinery over the past five years,” Kaighin notes. “And in waste to energy, about fifty per cent of the plants we service now send power back to the grid. That was just 25 per cent five years ago.”
One such ongoing project – a new waste to energy installation in Birmingham in the UK – has been running since November and involves a dedicated crew working six to seven days a week until completion in summer 2025.
“These large scale original equipment manufacturer projects complement the smaller, fast turnaround maintenance jobs. And whether it’s a one off repair or a multi month installation, we bring the same rigor,” Kaighin adds. “And that’s why customers come back.”
STRENGTH THROUGH COLLABORATION
The Ellesmere Port site reflects more than just regional capability: it’s a symbol of what the Calderys and HWI, A Member of Calderys, combination has enabled globally. With enhanced access to international expertise, materials and product development pathways, the facility is better equipped than ever to serve the complex needs of high temperature industries.
As Kaighin puts it: “We’re able to combine global knowledge with a local approach; that’s what helps us stand out.”
Behind the scenes, that means working with a team that includes project planners, safety specialists, design engineers and an agile pool of skilled shopfloor and site technicians – all ready to deploy wherever needed. For the foundry sector and beyond, Ellesmere Port offers not just products, but solutions.
IN FOCUS: FOUNDRY LADLES, LAUNDERS AND FURNACE COMPONENTS
Though the facility covers all high temperature sectors, from thermal and petrochemical to iron and steel, the foundry market remains a vital focus, particularly for smaller precast items like ladles and launders.
“We support refractory work on foundry ladles, precast or standard in situ castable linings for all ladle sizes,” says Jack Jennings, foundry sales account manager at Calderys. “We handle the full cycle: from mould design to casting, curing, and delivery.”
This adaptability extends to the installation methods as well. Whether it’s traditional cast in place, gunite (dry spray), shotcrete (wet spray) or the proprietary GREENGUN® spray ramming method, Ellesmere Port has the tools and training to offer a full service package.
At Ellesmere Port, ladles up to four tons are precast, cured and dispatched across the country. These refractory vessels, essentially oversized crucibles, are essential for both primary metal processing and remelting scrap. Launders – the channels that direct molten flow from furnace to mould – are also made to order, with custom shapes and features depending on each foundry’s layout.
The facility and its installation crew can cast in situ but specialise in precast technology. Such is the case for foundry ladles. A precast ladle lining can be replaced on site by customers up to approximately six times, compared to just one replacement for a standard ladle lining. This approach minimises damage to ladles and decreases operational downtime, while demonstrating a proven extension in the service life of ladle linings.
Technical support is provided through an engineering department equipped with advanced 3D modelling software and 3D printing capabilities.
“This enables the production of components ranging from standard cast pieces to highly complex, technically challenging shapes that enhance efficiency, reduce failure risk, and lower energy consumption.” says Jennings. “The facility handles precast parts from as small as two kilograms up to four thousand kilograms, although can handle up to twenty thousand kilograms.”
Utilisation of high temperature dry out ovens ensures thorough curing of refractory components, which is critical for durability in service. Additionally, precast top rings and spouts for coreless induction furnaces (CIF) are manufactured to support the CALDE® GUARD concept, which consists of Calderys’ boron free SILICA MIX Q BF, a precast top ring and a dedicated installation method. This newly developed concept further enhances operational reliability. The facility is known for rapid response times and high level problem solving expertise, drawing on extensive experience across all market segments to meet diverse customer needs effectively. What sets the facility apart is not just the scale, but the precision. Thanks to computer numerical control tooling and 3D printed moulds, launders can be produced with integrated threads or notches that improve assembly and reliability.
“Five or ten years ago, casting a block with a thread for screwing into was unheard of,” says Jennings. “Now, we do it routinely.”
This precision has real benefits on the floor. By improving interface fits and reducing tolerance variation, foundries can achieve more reliable operations with fewer unplanned stoppages, which is crucial in a sector where downtime can be incredibly expensive.
For industrial operators, the Ellesmere Port offer is simple: faster, safer and more accurate solutions that integrate directly into existing workflows – backed by a team that knows the metal business inside out.
Calderys is a leading global provider for industries operating in high temperature conditions. The Group specialises in thermal protection for industrial equipment with a wide range of refractory products and advanced solutions to enhance steel casting, metallurgical fluxes, and moulding processes. With a presence in more than thirty countries and a strong footprint in the Americas through the brand HWI (HarbisonWalker International), Calderys’ international network of experts ensures an end to end offer with tailored services. Drawing on over 150 years of experience, Calderys supports its customers in their energy transition needs. Headquartered in Paris, France, the group counts 4,500 employees (excluding contractors) and fifty plants on five continents. www.calderys.com