Under the title of “Geothermal energy and the search for nuclear repository sites in accordance with the German Repository Site Selection Act”, the 19th Aachen Site Contamination and Mining Subsidence Engineering Colloquium (ABK) was held on 10th July 2018 in the TEMA Pyramid in Aachen/Germany (Figure 1). The conference was organised by the Institute for Mining Surveying, Mining Subsidence Engineering ...

Chile, the world’s leading producer of copper, is faced with declining productivity, environmental protection concerns and strikes. New technologies are helping the mining sector to become more competitive by lowering costs and increasing safety. Digitalisation is only now making its way slowly into the industry. Some German companies are working on the development and introduction of new innovations. Driverless trucks, ...

Mining trade fair MICA, which was originally due to take place at the end of September 2018 in Algeria, has been combined with the Algeria Infrastructure trade fair. Both events will now take place from 28th to 30th January 2019 at the Palais des Expositions exhibition centre in Algeria. MICA provides manufacturers and service providers from the mining sector with ...

The book “Energiemarkt Deutschland” (“The German Energy Market”) – author Hans-Wilhelm Schiffer – provides an up-to-date overview of the structure and development of the German energy market. The focus is on demand and supply structures in the markets for oil, lignite, hard coal and electricity. Renewable energies are covered by a comprehensive chapter separately. Other focal points are the determinants ...

In its tenth anniversary year, the RAG-Stiftung, Essen/Germany, can look back on another successful financial year. At its annual press conference, which was held for the first time at the new headquarters of the RAG-Stiftung and RAG Aktiengesell-schaft at the Zollverein UNESCO World Heritage Site in Essen, the foundation’s Board of Executives (Figure 1) reported on the business developments of ...

With the project “Glückauf neighbours – model mining district integration”, which originated as part of the “Glückauf Zukunft!” initiative, the RAG-Stiftung, Essen/Germany, RAG Montan Immobilien, Essen/Germany, and VIVAWEST, Gelsenkirchen/Germany, are providing inspiration for successful integration in mining districts. The term “integration” is widely used in the project and refers not only to migration, but also to the participation of all ...

“Domestic lignite will still be essential for securing Germany’s energy supply for decades yet,” emphasized Helmar Rendez, the new Executive Board Member of the German Federal Association for Lignite Production (DEBRIV) at this year’s Braunkohlentag conference in Halle/Saale. Rendez indicated that the early shut-down of more lignite power stations would have a serious impact on service and supply companies and ...

When the new commission for growth, structural change and employment is deployed by the federal government, the German Industry Union for the Mining, Chemical, and Energy Industries (IG BCE), Hanover/Germany, expects a commitment from all participants towards sustainable industrial future perspectives for employees and the regions as well as a serious debate on the open issues in energy generation and ...

The First International Conference “Mines of the Future” took place in Aachen in May 2018. Prof. Bernd Lottermoser as conference chair took again the opportunity to focus within the renowned Aachen International Mining Symposia (AIMS conference series) on the key issue Mines of the Future (Figure 1). Having attracted more than 230 participants from 30 countries, the two-day conference was ...

Prof. Jürgen Kretschmann, President of the Technische Hochschule Georg Agricola (THGA), Bochum/Germany, has taken over the presidency of the Society of Mining Professors (SOMP) (Figure 1). This appointment will see him head the world’s leading professional association of mining sciences for one year. “It’s a great honour to be appointed president. It gives me the opportunity to draw public attention ...