RAG Montan Immobilien

The Saarland Ministry of Economic Affairs, Innovation, Digital and Energy (MWIDE) and RAG Aktiengesellschaft, Essen/Germany, with its subsidiary RAG Montan Immobilien want to join forces to expand renewable energy in Saarland. Minister of Economic Affairs Jürgen Barke and RAG Board Member Michael Kalthoff signed a Letter of Intent (LOI) to this effect on 17th November 2023 (Figure 1).

In recent decades, Saarland has transformed itself from a coal and steel region to a multi-faceted industrial and service location with an international focus. In this context, the move away from fossil fuels and the expansion and strategic promotion of renewable energies are key steps towards making Saarland not only crisis-proof but also future-proof. The success of the energy transition and the green transformation of companies is therefore a key function for the Saarland as a business location.

RAG is contributing to the LOI by examining its own areas for the expansion of renewable energies. After covering its own requirements, around 25 ha are currently to be made available for electricity production for commercial enterprises in Saarland. RAG will seek to cooperate with Saarland companies in the development and realisation process. Space, area and operating data will be exchanged with the state, associated organisations and scientific institutes. Best-practice solutions for the future planning and construction of renewable energy plants are also to be developed and considerations on citizen participation orientated towards the common good are to be promoted.

The MWIDE provides technical and political support for these processes. On the one hand, the aim will be to focus on legal requirements in the planning and realisation of renewable energy projects at an early stage and to implement these quickly. On the other hand, questions and dialogue on ways to speed up procedures and measures are also part of this. Various event formats are to be organised and supported in order to jointly promote the implementation of renewable energy projects to the public.

Kalthoff is looking forward to working with the ministry: “The RAG Group has a significant portfolio of conversion sites in the Ruhr and Saar regions and we are happy to support the plans to expand renewable energy. RAG wants to make a sustainable contribution – to regions worth living in, which are also home to the company. This is also an important part of our corporate strategy. In future, we will also cover our energy requirements for the operation of our water storage and administrative sites with our own green electricity. Our aim is to be CO₂-neutral by 2030.”

Barke: “Due to our historical, industrial structure, we in Saarland are particularly affected by the green transformation. Saarland is also very densely populated and the competition for land is clearly noticeable. We Saarlanders are no strangers to change. We have learnt to see it as an opportunity. Against this backdrop, I am delighted that we have succeeded in initiating a cooperation that will accompany both the state and RAG into the future. The energy transition, with its many and varied requirements, is essential for Saarland – it is the prerequisite for our economic future and the preservation of the location. Joint models and projects between the state and companies like this are needed. I would therefore be delighted if our cooperation were to set a precedent.” (RAG/Si.)

Currently, the final operating plan procedure for the termination of the mining supervision for the former Proper II shaft (Figure 1) of the former Prosper-Haniel mine in Bottrop/Germany is underway. Within the procedure, an “orienting hazard assessment” was carried out. The expert recommends prohibiting groundwater extraction there due to the sometimes significant groundwater contamination in some areas. The city of Bottrop has therefore banned both the use and extraction of groundwater in these areas.

The groundwater in the downstream of the Prosper-Haniel mine was already sampled during the phase-out of operations. “We continued to keep an eye on the groundwater as part of the final operating plan procedure. For this purpose, there were measuring points both by us and by the city of Bottrop at Knappenstraße and in the adjacent settlement. Until autumn, the values measured there were only slightly elevated,” says Michael Otto of RAG Montan Immobilien GmbH in Essen, who is responsible for the final operating plan.

As part of the process, the number of groundwater measuring points on the site itself and in the settlement will be expanded step by step. In October, the values measured there were much higher. Otto: “We reported this to the supervisory authority and the city of Bottrop, which has now ordered this precautionary measure.” Essentially, the elevated values are coke ice-specific parameters.

The direction of flow of the groundwater is from east to west. Therefore, several causative factors are possible. Next to the colliery site, there was an old coking plant with various ancillary extraction facilities, such as a petrol factory.

Within the framework of the ongoing final operating plan procedure, solutions for a permanent safeguarding of the contaminated sites must now be developed and implemented so that a risk to the population can be excluded.

Groundwater remediation is already being carried out at several sites in the Ruhr area. Mostly at former coking plant sites that were destroyed in the Second World War. This is one of the eternal tasks in post-mining. (RAG/Si.)

The “Freiheit Emscher” decade project takes shape. What started out three years ago as an “intermunicipal development plan” will give the Ruhr metropolitan area fresh impetus as the largest urban development project in the Ruhr region. By 2030 the cities of Essen and Bottrop together with RAG Montan Immobilien GmbH, Essen/Germany, want to trigger public and private investments of over 1.3 bn € (Figure 2).

Following the successful completion of the feasibility study, the partners presented the structural and utilisation concept at the real estate fair EXPO REAL in Munich, as well as a plan of measures for the coming decade, with which the 1,700 ha area is to be redeveloped. “Where the cities of Essen and Bottrop have turned their backs, we want to create a central and vital business location with high job density”, stated the Mayor of Essen Thomas Kufen. The focus is on the creation of green and blue infrastructure: “We see “Freiheit Emscher” as a major driver of the climate-related transformation of the Ruhr region”, adds Markus Masuth, Chairman of the Board of RAG Montan Immobilien.

“Massive investments in public infrastructure will make possible a fundamental new development of the area, which for decades was shaped by mining and scarcely developed”, stated Bernd Tischler, Mayor of Bottrop, at the end of 2018 when the last coal mine in the Ruhr region was closed. The infrastructure masterplan for the “Freiheit Emscher” project plans investments of 275 M € by 2030. The majority of the measures are to be financed from regional, national and EU public funds, as well as Emschergenossenschaft and Deutsche Bahn. “We are convinced that these advance payments from the public sector will trigger a development boost for the area”, stated Mayor Thomas Kufen.

The “Freiheit Emscher” decade project aims for a fundamental restructuring and redevelopment of the area to the north of Essen and south of Bottrop. Investments shall be made in superior road networks, bridges or underpasses, motorway junctions at A42 and A52, drainage measures, as well as a future-oriented open-space and mobility concept. Furthermore, the project planners expect that the infrastructure measures planned by 2030 to the value of 275 M € will trigger private investments (x 3.7). “Only with this ambitious plan of measures is the path paved for private follow-on investments of over 1 bn €. This is our rule of thumb from other projects”, said Masuth.

Five potential areas previously used for mining totalling 150 ha altogether form the heart of the project. They are to be gradually removed from mining supervision from 2020 until presumably 2026. RAG and RAG Montan Immobilien will invest a total of around 100 M € for the site remediation within the framework of the closure plan, as well as the new development and clearance operations of these areas, said Masuth. The remediation work at the Emil-Emscher area already started during the summer.

As the biggest urban development project in the Ruhr region, “Freiheit Emscher” is to also serve as a model with climate protection measures and climate-adapted planning: “We are developing this area consistent with economy, environment and climate objectives”, explained Tischler. The concept for rainwater management i. e. plans open waterways, which will ensure an optimised city climate in the “Freiheit Emscher”. The mobility concept aims at the intelligent combination of commercial traffic and the preference for emission-free vehicles and the public transport network on a new environmentally friendly route between the city centres of Bottrop and Essen.

The open-space concept plans supplementing the existing green spaces and an abundance of new routes to and on water– geared towards the nucleus as an attraction anchor between canal and restored Emscher. New parks, squares and a promenade along the canal will create a high quality of stay in conjunction with gastronomy and leisure and recreational offers. “With the nucleus we want to not only offer start-ups and knowledge-based companies an optimal environment for working, but also create a new urban center, which links people from the surrounding districts to the area emotionally,” said Tischler. “We are convinced: This will be a pretty chunk of the Ruhr region.” (RAG MI/Si.)

The State Government of North Rhine-Westphalia is to provide 14.5 M € of support for the development of the gate.ruhr industrial and commercial area on the site of the Auguste Victoria 3/7 mine in Marl/Germany, which was shut down in 2015. Prof. Andreas Pinkwart, State Minister of Economic Affairs for North Rhine-Westphalia, presented the grant notice to Werner Arndt, Mayor of Marl, and Markus Masuth, Chairman of the Board of RAG Montan Immobilien GmbH (RAG MI), Essen, in the presence of the President of the District Government of Münster, Dorothee Feller (Figure 1). During the initial stage, gate.ruhr GmbH (City of Marl: 51 %, RAG MI: 49 %) will develop and market a net area of 12.5 ha. The funding for this comes from the joint scheme of the Federal Government and the States for the “Improvement of the regional economic structure,” in which the state is a co-participant.

Prof. Pinkwart: “The closure of the coal mines, as well as our impending withdrawal from coal-fired power generation, open up space for the further development of North Rhine-Westphalia as an industrial location. As the gate.ruhr project shows, we are investing in the future of the Auguste Victoria site and creating jobs in the Emscher-Lippe region. This project will attract attention to the entire Ruhr area and beyond and will also be a draw for internationally-active companies.”

Arndt: “Several thousand mineworkers were employed at Auguste Victoria until its closure. With gate.ruhr, we are ensuring that there will be good jobs here for the children of our miners and for their children’s children, and that things continue to improve for our city and region.”

Masuth: “For us and for the City of Marl, this agreement is an important milestone in the realisation of the overall gate.ruhr project. We can now get started on the necessary works without delay. Over the next few years, the transformation of the former colliery site on Carl-Duisberg-Straße into an attractive location for industry and commerce will become concrete.”

Feller: “gate.ruhr is not only a key project for Marl; it also stands for the change in perspective of the entire Emscher-Lippe region and its joint concentration on opportunities and potential. What could be a better symbol of this change than gate.ruhr, with its future 12.5 ha to be accessed via water, road and rail?”

The City of Marl has drawn up a utilisation plan for the entire site on the basis of a two-phase feasibility study which received 1.8 M € of support from the EU and the State of North Rhine-Westphalia. During the first phase of the realisation, an area of 12.5 ha to the north and south of Nordstraße, which leads to the Chemistry Park, will be developed. At the same time, preparations will be made for the development of two further sub-sections, which are still subject to the supervision of the mining authorities:

• To the north, there is an industrial harbour with connections to the Wesel-Datteln Canal and to the railway and motorway networks. Preparations are currently underway for release from mining authority supervision and agreements are being made with the Waterways and Shipping Office on future usage by companies relocating to the area.
• To the south, the disused mine site will link with the project area of the first construction phase. Preparatory works have already begun here as well.

Eventually, the former colliery site will provide a net area of approximately 45 ha of industrial and commercial space for future-oriented investment in the Emscher-Lippe region, creating approximately 1,000 new jobs. (MWIDE/Si.)

Surveyors from the DMT GmbH & Co. KG specialist unit for fire safety, at the Centre for Fire and Explosion Safety have determined, following specific gas measurements at various locations on the Graf Moltke tip in Gladbeck/Germany, that “there is no evidence of health risks in the locality”. The DMT surveyors conducted specific gas readings on the Graf Moltke spoil tip on 14th August 2019 on behalf of RAG Montan Immobilien GmbH, Essen/Germany, who are responsible for the tip (Figure 1). The project manager for DMT is a publicly-appointed sworn expert for fire safety for spoil tips, coal stores and disposal sites. DMT belongs to the TÜV NORD GROUP. The background to the readings is the smouldering fire in the tip, which has been known about and monitored for years and which has intensified in recent months, leading to increased gas emissions.

The gas readings on the tip, to which public access is prohibited, were conducted in the immediate vicinity of the warm areas of the western slope. Readings were conducted at two points whose visual appearance and odour were noticeable. The surveyors took readings directly on the ground and in a 1 m deep fissure which had developed there, as well as at heights of 0.5 and 1.5 m above the source location in the direction of the wind. Environmental readings were also taken in the south/west wind direction at two points in the commercial area.

The readings were evaluated in accordance with the legally stipulated incident assessment values, the official occupational limit values and the permitted exposure values for the emergency services. The readings assessed the accrual of gas emissions including benzene, hydrogen sulphide, sulphur dioxide, carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, hydrogen, nitrogen, methane and oxygen. These gases are usually produced when coal is burned and, in certain concentrations, can have a harmful effect on the environment and the population.

In the case of the current readings, limit values were only exceeded for the individual gases carbon monoxide, benzene and hydrogen sulphide immediately at ground level and when measured in the ground fissure. At a height of 0.5 m, only the value for hydrogen sulphide was slightly in excess of the limit value. At a height of 1.5 m above the source location, no more critical measurement values were observed due to the mixing of all substances with the surrounding air. Due to this dilution effect, noticeable pollutant concentrations are – according to the surveyors – not to be expected in the vicinity of the tip. The readings in the commercial area were correspondingly insignificant.

However, a slight unpleasant odour was noticed, which is perceptible even at values significantly below the official limit values. This odour of rotten eggs occurs irregularly and is considerably influenced by the wind and weather conditions.

RAG Montan Immobilien has commissioned further readings in different wind conditions, in order to assess levels in the entirety of the area.

RAG Montan Immobilien would like to expressly reiterate once again that access to the Graf Moltke tip is absolutely prohibited, due to the potential danger.

The fire inside the tip has been smouldering for years. Ever since, it has been constantly checked and monitored, both by RAG Montan Immobilien and by commissioned surveying companies. The safety measures include regular temperature readings via probes, regular inspections with regard to the formation of fissures on the tip and infrared measurements from the air. Three areas of the western tip and four areas in the east and south-east are being specially monitored.

At present, RAG Montan Immobilien is devising a restructuring concept, in order to contain the smouldering fire in the area of the western slope and to enhance the stability of the spoil tip. (RAG MI/Si.)

RAG Montan Immobilien GmbH, Essen/Germany, is conducting reclamation work on the site of the former Luisenthal mine on behalf of RAG Aktiengesellschaft. In the presence of representatives from politics and the town council, as well as a large crowd of residents, further demolition work officially got under way on 15th November 2018 (Figure 1).

In collaboration with the town of Völklingen, RAG Montan Immobilien and the state, an urban development concept was devised in 2015 for the Luisenthal district, including the former mining site. This concept was named “New Luisenthal”. In addition to a plethora of urban planning measures for redeveloping the old centre of Luisenthal, it comprises a comprehensive set of measures that will be implemented by RAG Montan Immobilien to restore the site of the former mine’s surface facility and spoil tip and transform it for future use. “We are sticking to the concept that we developed together,” says Markus Masuth, Chair of the Executive Board at RAG Montan Immobilien. The elevated waste rock hopper and raw coal bunker are to be demolished. RAG Montan Immobilien will restore the land in the mine’s surface facility, clear it of all residual contaminants and prepare it for future use with the aim, he says, of allowing monitoring of the Luisenthal surface facility and spoil tip by mining authorities to cease at the earliest possible juncture.

“However, we cannot implement the overarching “New Luisenthal” concept alone. This requires a joint effort by the state, local authority and company,” stresses Masuth. “But we will do what we can as a company and what is economically viable.” RAG Montan Immobilien’s involvement focusses on the surface facility and spoil tip. Plans are already afoot for reclaiming the spoil tip, which will later be used for new, green purposes.
Besides the surface facility and spoil tip, the “New Luisenthal” concept encompasses a number of other important elements, which include renovating and transforming the station, building new facilities to make the site easily accessible by foot and by bicycle, enlarging the underpass in Altenkesseler Straße as an external access point, and redeveloping the old centre of Luisenthal. “All these measures are necessary to ensure that substantial progress is made in Luisenthal. Redeveloping the mining site alone is not sufficient to achieve this. The entire district must be stabilised and reactivated,” affirms Rudolf Krumm, authorised representative of RAG Montan Immobilien. “All successful structural change projects require a joint effort by the state, local authority and company. I hope that this joint effort can continue throughout the project’s implementation.”

The concrete elements that are left over from the demolition of RAG Aktiengesellschaft’s old administrative building in Saarbrücken and are now being stored at the mining site are to be removed from the site as soon as possible. “We now have the final authorisation that we need,” says Krumm. Preparations are now being made for the concrete’s removal to the Ludweiler spoil tip. The material will then be broken up and incorporated there. The Ludweiler council has already approved this measure. (RAG MI/Si.)

The photovoltaic plant in Saarbrücken-Jägersfreude is the tenth project for montanSOLAR GmbH, Ensdorf /Germany, in Saarland. The first phase of construction of the 2.3 MWp solar power plant on the 8.7 ha site is now complete (Figure 1). And now it has officially commenced operations.

The entire plant will be completed in three phases of construction over the coming years and will bear the name Blechhammer. “We are delighted to have completed the first phase of construction, although we did have a few problems along the way,” reports Michael Pietsch, Managing Director of montanSOLAR. The situation on the world market played a key role in this, e. g., the unexpected shortage of solar modules. The composition of the ground also caused a few surprises in some areas, “which meant that the pile-driver was not able to work as effectively as it could across the entire site.”

“In the first stage of construction, we installed 2,772 solar modules, which generate an output of 745.44 KWp. This can supply around 250 households with solar energy,” explains Pietsch. The actual construction time during the first phase amounted to four weeks. The second and third phases of construction will be staggered over the coming years. By the end of the project, more than 7,000 modules will have been installed, with a total output of 2.3 MWp. The plant will reduce CO₂ emissions by a total of 1,160 t/a. The recently completed phase will reduce CO₂ emissions by 380 t/a.

With the official opening of this section, montanSOLAR is continuing a series of citizens’ events. “We involved citizens in our considerations regarding the solar farm from a very early stage,” emphasises -Pietsch. The first citizens’ information event took place in spring 2015. In addition to the actual construction work, discussions also focussed on the subject of noise. With this in mind, the company organised a tour of the photovoltaic plant in Dechen.

Landowner RAG Montan Immobilien GmbH, Essen/Germany, had carried out preliminary investigations as to whether the surface installation could be put to commercial use. Due to access issues and the site’s proximity to residential areas, the company came to the conclusion that the commercial development of the site is not currently viable. The solar farm is therefore a feasible alternative. Not least as the fact that it can be put to intermediate use for a limited period means that its suitability for commercial use in the long term can be continuously reviewed. (RAG MI/Si.)

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.)

In 2018, RAG Montan Immobilien will invest around 20 m € in renovation and development projects in the Saarland. Markus Masuth (Figure 1), Chairman of the Executive Board for Essen-based RAG Montan Immobilien GmbH, made this announcement at the company’s annual press conference in Ensdorf. The majority of this investment will go towards the renovation of the former coke plant site in Neunkirchen-Geisheck and its spoil tip. This will be the largest of RAG Montan Immobilien’s renovation projects in the Saarland. “Just the first phase of construction alone incorporates an area of 14 ha,” explains Masuth. The project is due to start this year and is expected to run for several years.

Other initiatives are lined up for the district of Quierschied this year. These include the necessary clearing works at the two spoil tips in Camphausen, which the company has already begun. Both the Lydia tip and the tip to the north of the Fischbach railway are being cleared. At both sites, the sloped heaps are being flattened and efficient drainage systems are being laid. These two measures must be undertaken before the relevant mining authorities can end their supervision of the sites.

In Friedrichsthal, renovation works are under way at the Maybach spoil tip, as well as at the Duhamel tip in Ensdorf. In Luisen-thal, RAG Montan Immobilien is pushing ahead with its works at the former mining site. “Top of the agenda is dismantling the former processing plant, which many local residents will undoubtedly take to be very good news.” Work is also under way to produce detailed plans for clearing the spoil tip at this site. Here too, the sloped heaps must be flattened out and an efficient drainage system must be laid before the supervision of the site can end.

At a cost of around 5 m €, pits in Neunkirchen, Göttelborn, Sulzbach, Camphausen, Luisenthal, Schwalbach and Warndt have been renovated. “Part of our job is to inspect and secure surface openings. By doing this, we can make sure that these pits remain safe and secure for many years to come,” adds Masuth.

Once the dismantling of the Ensdorf coal processing plant is complete, the implementation of the Duhamel masterplan enters the next phase. This year, land-use planning proceedings will begin. At the same time, the urban development agreement with the district of Ensdorf is being drafted, and the next stages of the closure plan for the surface installation and the spoil tip are being implemented.

Preliminary work is under way on the noise protection installations at the “An der Geisswies” housing development. The second phase of construction will be completed this year. In Riegelsberg, RAG Montan Immobilien is working on a new housing development intended primarily for young families. Ahead of both these initiatives, events have been held to keep local residents informed of the plans.

“Green projects” are once again on the agenda this year. These include ecological restoration projects by landscape agency Landschaftsagentur Plus, an associated company of RAG Montan Immobilien, on another section along the Fischbach river in Quierschied, as well as an area surrounding the Erlenbrunnenbach river in Neunkirchen. The works to restore the Fischbach to nature form part of the clear-up operation of the spoil tips in Camphausen. The ecological restoration of Erlenbrunnenbach is a compensatory measure to counteract the works in Neunkirchen-Geisheck. In autumn, Landschaftsagentur Plus will begin with a species conservation initiative in Fürstenhausen. This requires vegetation to be kept to a constant minimum on the 13 ha site, which is why a herd of Aubrac cattle is being introduced to the area. The free-roaming animals will graze the area and prevent the further growth of vegetation. This is the first such grazing project RAG Montan Immobilien has undertaken in the Saarland. A similar project has been running for a few years in North Rhine-Westphalia, on the river meadows of the Lippe in Datteln.

RAG Montan Immobilien is currently working with montanWind to complete Gohlocher Forest wind farm. The first wind turbine has already been erected and work is under way to get the second one in place. The project rights for the Lebach Nord wind farm were sold to the operating company BayWa r.e. The final phase of construction on the Erkershöhe wind farm in Merchweiler started in February.

The company montanSOLAR, a subsidiary of RAG Montan Immobilien, was originally established to construct solar farms on former mining sites in the Saarland. It has since expanded its operations to Rhineland-Palatinate and North Rhine-Westphalia; and this year will see the company take its services to France for the first time. Terril Wendel and Porcelette, the new solar farms there, will cover a total area of 43 ha with photovoltaic modules. Each of these modules will generate 17 MWp (Megawatt peak) of power. This means approximately 11,330 households can be supplied with solar powered energy, based on an annual consumption of 3000 kWh. In the Saarland, Jägersfreude solar farm was started to be built in the first quarter of the year. The 2.3 MWp solar power plant will supply 677 households with solar energy. (RAG MI/Si.)

Landscape agency Landschaftsagentur Plus will be collaborating on future ventures with earthworks laboratory Erdbaulaboratorium Saar GmbH, Riegelsberg/Germany. The two organisations have signed a cooperation agreement to formalise their partnership (Figure 1). “By signing this agreement, we are taking another important step to safeguard our company’s future,” explains Martin Strauß, Managing Director of Landschaftsagentur Plus. Erdbaulaboratorium Saar (ELS) and Landschaftsagentur Plus have been working towards a possible partnership for several months. By pooling their extensive skills and expertise in their respective fields, both organisations can access new and exciting market opportunities, both in the Saarland and beyond.

Geoscientific engineering company ELS specialise in technical and business consultation and inspection services, in particular conducting ground surveys and compiling specialist reports on soil mechanics, earthworks, foundation engineering, geotechnics and environmental impact. Besides their well-established operations in the fields of geotechnics and site contamination, the company’s service portfolio has expanded over the years to include the specialist areas of hydrology/groundwater modelling, building demolition/dismantling planning and surface water seepage.

“In any building project, the developer responsible is faced with technical and economical questions that need answers,” explains Friedwalt Weber, Managing Director of ELS. “And then there’s the matter of what we call the green issues.” It is not uncommon for building projects to impact on nature and landscapes. The developer is required to either minimise these impacts or compensate for them at another location. These measures are presented in an accompanying landscape conservation plan. For the developer, this means employing the services of numerous partners.

“And that’s where our cooperation agreement comes in,” adds Strauß. Landschafts-agentur Plus provides services for all aspects of impact management. Whether measures to compensate or replace, species conservation requirements or legally required reforestation, Landschaftsagentur Plus takes care of all the tasks involved in the approval process, right through to the execution and ongoing support of the compensation obligations. “As cooperative partners, we can now offer the developers a one-stop shop for tailored solutions.”

This is not the first time the two companies have joined forces. They have both been working in association with RAG Montan Immobilien for years. “We recognise and value one another’s skills and expertise. We bring these together as cooperation partners and act as a single point of contact for the customer. This makes us unique on the market,” explain the two managing directors.

Landschaftsagentur Plus is a joint venture company of RAG Montan Immobilien GmbH, Essen/Germany, together with HVG Grünflächenmanagement GmbH, Gelsenkirchen/Germany. (ELS/Landschaftsagentur Plus/Si.)