At the end of 2018, the German coal mining industry will come to a close in Germany. This marks the end of a significant era in German industrial history; an era that not only defined the coal-mining districts, but also played a major role in economic development in Germany and even Europe.
„The end of active mining does not mean an end to RAG‘s responsibilities in the former mining regions,“ explains Chairperson of the RAG Management Board, Bernd Tönjes. In mid-November 2017, together with Lord Mayor of the City of Herne/Germany, Frank Dudda, Tönjes laid the foundation stone of a modern control hub at the Herne-Wanne site. All managerial teams, who oversee what are known as the perpetual obligations of the mining industry, are due to be brought together there from 2019.
Once coal production is over, the Essen-based RAG AG will focus its activities on the consequences of mining. This involves on the one hand the perpetual obligations surrounding the drainage of mine water, polder measures, and groundwater remediation at affected sites, and on the other hand the final tasks such as developing post-mining land and correcting the damage caused by mining. Tönjes: „In everything we do, our focus is always on protecting people and the environment – in particular, ensuring the safety of drinking water.“
The new control hub on the former site of the Pluto mine in Herne, due for completion by the end of 2018, will serve as a central base for managing and checking all the water drainage monitoring systems in the Ruhr and Saar regions and in Ibbenbüren. Data from technical building management, maintenance planning and staff deployment planning will also be recorded here. (RAG/Si.)
