Production of Hl2 English lime mortars is moving from Tout Quarry in Somerset to Singleton Birch's massive lime product facility at Ross Quarries in Barnetby, Lincolnshire.

The move follows the rejection on appeal last year of Hydraulic Lias Lime Ltd's planning application to produce lime mortars at Appledoor quarry, also in Somerset, when planning permission at Tout quarry expired in 2005 (see NSS August issue).

Although the lime will continue to be branded as Hl2, using the same logo that has become established for the hydraulic lime produced by Hydraulic Lias Lime Ltd, Hl2 will in future stand for hydraulic Lincolnshire lime.

Mike Farey, who heads Hydraulic Lias Lime Ltd, will continue to sell the lime mortars produced by Singleton Birch and will become a consultant to Singleton Birch on the subject.

He expects the first batch of Singleton Birch Hl2 to come out of their kilns in September. The first year's production will amount to about 5,000 tonnes, which is more than Hydraulic Lias Lime Ltd have produced, but is tiny compared with the 300,000 tonnes of quicklime Singleton Birch produce every year from 1.8million tonnes of limestone quarried.

Most of what Singleton Birch produce is used for use in iron and steel production, for cleaning power station emissions, and for farming.

The hydraulic lime mortar will be classified NHL 3.5, which is nearest to moderately hydraulic and is used for general building mortars. Mike says it is indistinguishable form hydraulic Lias lime that has been made from the Blue Lias limestone of Tout quarry.

Eventually NHL 2 and 5 will be added to the range. NHL 5 is the strongest and is typically used for repairing harbour walls and stonework on canal locks. NHL 2 tends to be used for sensitive conservation projects.

Hl2 have been a rare English competitor in the UK market, where lime mortars tend to come from France. The main suppliers are Castle Cement, who introduced a range of French lime mortars a few years ago in response to what they could see was a growing demand for them, and St Astier, a French company that sell into the UK.

Mike Farey says Singleton Birch, an independent company, will probably invest in a new SIC plant from Italy devoted to the production of lime mortar eventually.

Hydraulic Lias Lime Ltd will continue to operate for now and remain the source of Hl2 branded lime mortars.