The Prosper-Haniel mine in Bottrop was the last coal mine in Germany. On 21st December 2018, the last lump of coal was brought to the surface here in a big ceremony and handed over to the Federal President. Since then, the withdrawal from the mine workings has been pushed ahead underground to safely close the mine. This work is now complete.
THYSSEN SCHACHTBAU GmbH, Mülheim/Ruhr, worked for many decades at the Prosper-Haniel mine until the end. During active mining times, in addition to countless kilometres of underground routes, THYSSEN SCHACHTBAU also excavated the 1.8 km long mine water channel as a central structure for the mine water management. Another highlight was the deepening of shaft 10 on Alter Postweg in Bottrop by around 300 m to around 1,320 m in the years 2004 to 2008, with ongoing extraction.
Of the five day openings at the end of 2018, shaft 9 in Vossundern, shaft 10 on Alter Postweg, the inclined haul heading in Knappenstrasse and shafts Haniel 1 and 2 on the Haniel dump are no longer accessible.
In 2019, THYSSEN SCHACHTBAU prepared the backfilling of shafts 9 and 10. At the same time, the 3.6 km long inclined haul heading was closed. Now the two shafts Haniel 1 and 2 are also being permanently filled (Figure 1). THYSSEN SCHACHTBAU is also involved in these last mining works.
Together with RAG Aktiengesellschaft, conveying in the Haniel 2 shaft was expanded and backfilling began at the beginning of September 2021. The backfilling of the Haniel 1 shaft will also begin in a few weeks’ time.
This means that the mine workings are finally closed after more than 150 years. The Hünxe shaft, which is still open and has been part of the Prosper-Haniel mine since 2006, originally belonged to the Lohberg/Osterfeld mine in Dinslaken and will be filled in over the next few years as part of the reconstruction of the mine water channel. (THYSSEN SCHACHTBAU/Si.)
