RAG Aktiengesellschaft

Landschaftsagentur Plus GmbH, Datteln/Germany, has undertaken its first grazing project on behalf of RAG Aktiengesellschaft, Essen and RAG Montan Immobilien GmbH, Essen, in Saarland. An Aubrac herd (Figure 1) has been introduced as part of the remediation of the former Saarland refinery site in Völklingen and the Lydia tip in Quierschied. To counteract the intrusion into nature and the landscape in these areas, the site in Völklingen-Fürstenhausen is now undergoing near-natural management.

Reinhold Jost, Minister for the Environment and Consumer Protection in Saarland, and Christiane Blatt, Mayor of Völklingen, were pictured at the site yesterday.

“One of the things we had to do as part of the remediation process was to create a new habitat for the woodlarks,” explains Rudolf Krumm, authorised representative for RAG Montan Immobilien. The neighbouring 13 ha of land was prepared with this in mind. Woodlarks, which are ground-breeding birds, prefer a semi-open, structured landscape in a sunny location with places to sing and observe the surrounding area. They also need scattered vegetation near the edge of the forest, as well as dry sandy areas and clearances.

“The grazing project was the obvious choice for maintaining an open environment, as grazing is more sustainable than mowing,” explains Martin Strauß, Managing Director of Landschaftsagentur Plus. The land is now being kept clear by a large herd of Aubrac cattle. It’s not the first project of this kind for Strauß; “We have already made a great success of this type of landscape conservation in North Rhine-Westphalia.” Landschaftsagentur Plus transferred the animals to Fürstenhausen from the river meadows of the Lippe in Datteln, where they have been keeping the wetlands clear for several years. The Aubrac herd has a breeding bull and two mother cows, each with one calf and two young offspring. “We are planning to expand the grazing area by 8 ha and increase the size of the herd over the coming years,” explains Strauß.

With the introduction of the cattle herd, the agricultural land in Völklingen-Fürstenhausen is now being ecologically enhanced. The project was planned in close consultation with the responsible authorities, experienced local farmer Frank Bessoth and Landschaftsagentur Plus.

Aubrac cattle are an old, robust breed from France, and are known for their resilience, contentment and longevity. With their colouring and their eye spots, they strongly resemble their ancestors, the aurochs. (RAG MI/Si.)

Since 1st July 2018, Erich Kometz has been the new head of the Central Division of Communication and Sustainability at the RAG Aktiengesellschaft, Essen/Germany. In this role, he succeeds Prof. Eberhard Schmitt. Christoph Beike is also deputy to Kometz in addition to his role as Head of Public Affairs. Stefanie Kurkamp will replace Kometz as the Head of the Internal Communications/Sustainability division.

On 3rd November 2018, citizens, active and former miners and their families, mining clubs and local groups of the IG BCE trade union can say farewell to the German coal mining industry at five different RAG locations in the Ruhr region and Ibbenbüren as part of the “Danke Kumpel!” (“Thanks, miners!”) event (Figure 1). Those who are interested are invited to send in their own personal good wishes. These will be presented on the day of the event.

On 3rd November, under the slogan of “Danke Kumpel!” , the work and output of the miners will be commemorated at five different RAG locations in the Ruhr region and Ibbenbüren before the last coal is extracted on 21st December 2018. The events will be held outdoors.

Citizens are invited to post their own personal messages of farewell to the German coal mining industry at www.glueckauf-zukunft.de or to send them in by mail. All citizens will therefore have the opportunity to express their personal gratitude by sending good wishes. Visitors will also be able to pass on their greetings on the day of the event. They will be projected live onto a large screen and displayed throughout the entire event. Some of the messages that are sent in will be pre-selected to appear on a commemorative installation. One of these installations will remain at each location as a tribute to the German coal mining industry.

Entry is free, although a ticket will be required. Those who would like to attend can book their tickets online at www.glueckauf-zukunft.de or by calling +49 (0) 211 51332 252.

Further information is available at: www.glueckauf-zukunft.de // www.facebook.com/RAGStiftung // www.twitter.com/ragstiftung (RAG/Si.)

Since 1st July 2018, Erich Kometz has been the new head of the Central Division of Communication and Sustainability at the RAG Aktiengesellschaft, Essen/Germany. In this role, he succeeds Prof. Eberhard Schmitt. Christoph Beike is also deputy to Kometz in addition to his role as Head of Public Affairs. Stefanie Kurkamp will replace Kometz as the Head of the Internal Communications/Sustainability division.

In the summer of 2018, Prof. Martin Junker will be leaving RAG AG in Essen/Germany. As of May 2018, Manfred Müller has been appointed Managing Director of RAG Mining Solutions, while also upholding his managerial duties at RAG Verkauf GmbH.

In recent times, false and misleading information has been circulating regarding the possibility of subsidence damage occurring during the planned rise of mine water levels in the Saarland. As things currently stand, RAG Aktiengesellschaft, Essen/Germany, does not expect the proposed raising of the mine water levels to 320 m below sea level to cause damage through heave.

Accompanying reports also rate the risk of heave-related damage as extremely low. On this basis, RAG is confident that no damage of any kind will arise. The company has announced that there is no need to make use of the subsidence compensation wavers previously agreed by homeowners in land registries.

If, contrary to expectations, minor damage does occur, the following applies: Any such subsidence damage caused by heave will, of course, be settled by RAG. This is also specified in the Federal Mining Act (BBergG). The section on the presumption of subsidence damage applies in identical form for areas affected by heave. This specifies that these owners have the same rights as those whose property is affected by subsidence caused by mining.

Any such settlement is not affected by services that have already been paid for and/or any possible prior final settlements. This is because cases of heave damage are treated as “new events”, which must be considered separately. Consequently, any possible statutes of limitation must not be applied.

RAG has notified the Saarland’s Upper Mining Authority of this in a detailed letter. (RAG/Si.)

With the last of Germany’s coal mines due to close in December 2018, the training programmes at the Prosper-Haniel and Ibbenbüren mines are also drawing to an end. In Bottrop, 58 trainees gathered together on 8th February this year to receive their skilled worker’s certificates at their official graduation event (Figure 1). Prior to this, the final 44 trainees at Ibbenbüren mine had also passed their exams and collected their skilled worker’s certificates.

At the graduation event in Bottrop, RAG Deputy Chairman Peter Schrimpf highlighted that: “RAG has always acknowledged its responsibility to the regions. That is something that carries all the way through to training. For a long time, RAG was the biggest training provider in North Rhine-Westphalia and the Saarland. The organisation has helped over 100,000 young people to gain a solid professional qualification with which to launch their career.” The graduation was also attended by the mine’s HR Director Bernd Beier, Works Council Chairman Sandro Atzori and District Manager of the IG BCE Gelsenkirchen industrial union Thomas Steinberg, as well as Principal of the Mitte vocational college in Recklinghausen, Klaus-Peter Rüsing.

RAG’s recent graduates from the last two coal mines were trained to become industrial engineers, machine and system operators, electronic technicians for industrial engineering, chemical technicians and mechatronics engineers. Many of them are taking up the offer of three months’ work on the mine following their training. With RAG’s training being so highly regarded and demand for skilled workers being so high, their employment prospects look very strong. “Co-determination and business go hand in hand to make sure our young technicians move onto highly skilled jobs where they can apply the skills they learned with us,” explained the Works Council Chairman Sandro Atzori. (RAG/Si.)

At the meeting of the RAG Aktiengesellschaft Supervisory Board in Essen/Germany on 24th March 2018, Peter Schrimpf was named the new Chairman of the RAG Board of Executives. Schrimpf, formerly the Deputy Chairman of the Board of Executives, succeeds Bernd Tönjes in the role.

On 24th May 2018, Werner Müller, Chairman of the Board of Executives for RAG-Stiftung in Essen/Germany, will step down from this role and his seats on the supervisory boards of Evonik Industries AG, RAG Aktiengesellschaft and Deutsche Steinkohle AG for health reasons. When the company‘s board of trustees next meet on 9th May 2018, Bernd Tönjes, previously Chairman of the RAG Aktiengesellschaft Board of Executives, will be elected as Müller‘s successor.