Dear readers, a foreword like this usually starts something like this: “You are holding the first issue of our 2026 magazine in your hands.” This time it’s different, because from issue number one in 2026, Mining Report Glückauf will be published exclusively in digital form and in English …
The photo shows a 3D representation of the digital surface model of the old sections of the former gold mine near Korbach in Germany. Source: TUBAF
Focus of this Issue: Abandoned Mining
Editorial Mining Report
ISSUE 01/2026 // FOCUS OF THIS ISSUE: Abandoned Mining
Blue Mining – Proactive Mine Planning
Aspects of the expanded Blue Mining approach.The Blue Mining approach integrates energy, ergonomics, water and circular economy into a sustainable mining concept. The focus is on energy-efficient mines, the intelligent use of existing infrastructure as storage facilities and optimised water management. Human-centred workplaces and automation promote safety and efficiency. The circular economy enables the recycling and sustainable reuse of resources and equipment. Early planning for post-mining use …
Authors: Univ.-Prof. Dr.-Ing. Oliver Langefeld, Mareike Schubert, M.Sc., Dr.-Ing. Angela Binder, Yichen Jiang, M.Sc., Clausthal University of Technology, Institute of Geotechnology and Mineral Resources, Department of Mining, Clausthal-Zellerfeld/Germany
Geothermal Utilisation of Flooded Underground Mines Based on the Example of a Mine Thermal Energy Storage
Schematic representation of geothermal development possibilities for flooded underground mines.In recent decades, former mining infrastructure has been perceived primarily as a financial and environmental burden. Geothermal utilisation has so far only been implemented in a few projects. Recently, a paradigm shift has been observed in this regard. Flooded underground mine workings can represent a geothermal resource, under certain circumstances, the mine water can be used for heating or cooling. Currently more than fifty mine water geothermal plants exist worldwide, most of them are located in Europe and North America and are used for heating purposes …
Authors: Elke Mugova, Stefan Klein, Dr. Florian Hahn, Fraunhofer Research Institution for Energy Infrastructures and Geotechnologies IEG, Bochum/Germany
Remining of Mine Water Sludge – an Update on Successful Metal Extraction
Conducting the experiment. Clockwise from top left: Two 10 g dried tablets of the precipitation product from Ibbenbüren; ignited arc; elemental iron (sample MP2-Fe) and slag (sample MP2-S) as end products. Photos: B. Reker / FZNAs part of the IAW33 research project, which the Research Center of Post-Mining (FZN) at the Georg Agricola University of Applied Sciences (THGA), Bochum/Germany, launched in 2022, a systematic investigation was carried out into the precipitation products of mine water at active water management sites in the Ruhr area, Saarland and Ibbenbüren with regard to the critical and economically valuable elements they contain. As a result of these analyses, the Ibbenbüren site has proven to be promising for the possible extraction of some critical metals …
Authors: Dr. rer. nat. Bastian Reker, Jule Gleba, B.Sc., Georg Agricola University of Applied Sciences, Research Center of Post-Mining, Bochum/Germany, Dr.-Ing. Matic Jovičević-Klug, Dr. Patricia Jovičević-Klug, Max Planck Institute for Sustainable Materials, Düsseldorf/Germany, Dr.-Ing. Sebastian Westermann, Georg Agricola University of Applied Sciences, Research Center of Post-Mining, Bochum/Germany
Development and Implementation of an Innovative Sealing Concept for Smaller Shafts in Ore Mining
Partially filled textile element in the shaft, looking vertically downwards. Source: Sachtleben Bergbau Verwaltungs-GmbHIn 2024, as part of exploratory work in the area of near-surface mining at the Meggen mine, a historic ventilation shaft was investigated using drilling techniques. The investigation revealed that the stepped shaft was partially backfilled with loose material in its near-surface section, while remaining open down to a depth of approx. 64 m. As the long-term structural stability of the initial condition could not be verified, a remediation method was developed to underpin the existing column of loose fill and to …
Author: Christian Grineisen, M.Sc., Sachtleben Bergbau Verwaltungs-GmbH, Lennestadt/Germany
New Possibilities for Mine Surveying Documentation and Visualisation in Historic Mining
Point cloud of the Greisen body II and representation of surface normal.The availability of novel, compact multi-sensor scanning technologies – particularly those integrating LiDAR and imaging sensors – enables time-efficient and often sufficiently precise acquisition of underground 3D geometries. Based on this data, colour-augmented point clouds and interconnected 3D models can be generated, opening up a wide range of applications: from geological and engineering-geological mapping to vivid 3D visualisations for exhibitions …
Authors: Paulina Loskot, M. Sc., Prof. Dr.-Ing. Jörg Benndorf, Dr.-Ing. Thomas Martienßen, TU Bergakademie Freiberg, Institute of Mine Surveying and Geodesy, Freiberg/Germany
The new Carbon Dioxide Storage and Transport Act (KSpTG) paved the way for CO2 storage in Germany. The current coalition agreement of the current German government already outlines key strategic priorities that differ significantly from those of the previous coalition. Overall, CO2 storage is also to cover the energy sector, but without domestic coal-fired power generation. Strict standards have been set to prevent any future contamination. It is not yet clear when the first pipelines and storage facilities will go into operation …
Author: Prof. Dr. jur. Walter Frenz, Maître en Droit Public, RWTH Aachen University, Aachen/Germany
