Most times when discussing chimneys, the focus lies more on how they function and common issues as well as how to fix them. Little or nothing is heard about their heights.
Here, we’re dwelling solely on the size by discussing the tallest chimney in the world!
This topic not only sounds interesting but will also be worth your time. Where’s the tallest chimney installed?
How tall is it? These and more questions will be answered right here. You’ll have to join us by reading along to find out more about the tallest chimney.
Some Information about Tall Chimneys
Very tall chimneys aren’t suited for household use. These mostly belong to industrial complexes with the tallest of such structures mostly associated with thermal power stations.
Coal-fired power stations have the highest collection of tall chimneys.
So, how tall are we talking about? Some of the tallest chimneys in the world range from 200 meters tall and above.
You’ll also find steel mills, chemical factories, oil refineries, and some smelters using tall chimneys.
The length of a chimney speaks volumes about what goes on within such facilities. Very tall chimneys are built to handle or channel out certain gases which are products of combustive action.
A lot of combustion goes on in thermal power stations, which is why they have some of the tallest chimneys.
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Construction Material
Over the years, the materials used in chimney construction have changed. This is in a similar category to shipbuilding. Historically, timber was needed for ship construction.
However, things changed drastically as steel and iron began to be used as a construction material.
At the start of the industrial revolution, large scale chimneys were built using bricks. As time passed, more durable construction materials like concrete and steel were used.
Today, steel is the primary construction material for building very tall chimneys.
Where Is The World’s Tallest Chimney Located?
The tallest chimney in the world is located in Kazakhstan and is known by the name GRES-2 Power Station. This record-breaking chimney is specifically located at Ekibastuz in Kazakhstan.
The GRES-Power Station chimney was built in 1987and stands at a staggering height of 419.7 meters.
Converting 419.7 meters to feet, you get about 1,377 feet. The world’s second-highest chimney comes at a distance of 380 meters. It’s located in Ontario Canada and is called the Inco Superstack.
The GRE-2 Power Station chimney currently holds the record for the tallest chimney in the world.
Some of the Tallest Chimneys in World History
There’s a long list of chimneys each of which, at some point held the record for the tallest chimney in the world.
However, such records were broken when new and taller chimneys were built. So, are these all standing today? Not exactly! Some of the tallest chimneys that existed were either demolished or damaged by lightning among other things.
Nevertheless, there are still several of these historic chimneys present today.
These chimneys are scattered across different countries such as Ireland, England, Scotland, Germany, the USA, Japan, and the Netherlands.
Other countries hosting some of the tallest chimneys on the planet include Russia, Slovenia, Spain, Romania, Uzbekistan, Croatia, Ukraine, and Moldova.
History of The World’s Tallest Chimneys
As stated earlier, before the GRES-2 Power Station chimney which is currently the tallest in the world, others held such records for a period of time until they were dethroned.
These were dethroned mainly because taller chimneys were built.
It’s important to provide such information including their height, the period within which such record was held, when construction was completed, and their current state or condition.
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The Inco Superstack
Before the GRES-2 Power Station which currently holds the record for the tallest chimney, there was the Inco Superstack. This chimney held the record for a relatively short period of time from 1971 to 1987 before the record was broken.
The Inco Superstack is located in Copper Cliff, Ontario, Canada. It stands at a height of about 380 meters.
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Chimney of Mitchell
Chimney of Mitchell is was the record holder for the tallest chimney until the record was shattered in 1971. This record was held from 1968 to 1971. The chimney is located in West Virginia, USA, and stands at a height of 367.6 meters.
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Chimney of Lippendorf
The Chimney of Lippendorf was the record holder for the tallest chimney. This record lasted only a year (from 1967 to 1968). Although demolished in 2005, it stood at a height of 300 meters.
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Chimney of American Smelting & Refining
Chimney of American Smelting & Refining was located in El Paso, Texas, USA. Its record as the world’s tallest chimney at the time was short-lived (less than a year). It measured around 252.5 meters.
However, it was demolished in 2013.
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Chimney of Kashira
Chimney of Kashira also had a short reign as it held the record for about a year (1966 to 1967) It was located in the USSR now Russia. This chimney measures around 250 meters in height.
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Chimney of Schilling
Located in Germany, the chimney of Schilling held the title of the world’s tallest chimney for about 4 years (1962 to 1966). It measured around 220 meters. It has since been demolished in 2006.
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INCO Copper Cliff
Before the Chimney of Schilling, there was the INCO Copper Cliff located in Ontario, Canada. This chimney held the record for the world’s tallest for about 8 years (1954 to 1962). It measures about 194 meters in height.
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Amercentrale
The Amercentrale is located in the Netherlands and broke the record for the world’s tallest chimney. This record lasted for two years (1952 to 1954). Amercentrale chimney measured about 185 meters in height.
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Lead Smelter Chimney
Breaking the record from 1951 to 1952, Lead Smelter Chimney measured around 183 to 186 meters. There’s no consensus on the exact height of this chimney.
Nevertheless, it’s among the tallest chimneys in the world.
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Anaconda Smelter
Anaconda Smelter holds the record as the tallest chimney ever built of bricks. This record was held from 1919 to 1937. It’s located in Montana, USA. It measures about 178.3 meters in height.
There are lots of chimneys whose records were broken. Providing this information was necessary to enable you to appreciate the history behind such structures.
Today, the tallest chimney in the world is the GRES-2 Power Station located in Ekibastuz, Kazakhstan.