Coal mining

As coal mining refers to the search for and extraction of coal.

Worldwide in 2009 approximately 6 billion tons of bituminous coal were extracted. The largest producing countries are the People's Republic of China, the U.S. and India, which together provide about 73 % of world production.

Coal is mainly used in power plants to generate electrical energy in the power -generation and for heat recovery. Another important customers are coking plants, refine coal into coke, which is needed eg for steel making.

• 3.1 opencast
• 3.2 civil Engineering
• 3.3 Flözbrände

• 4.1 Germany 4.1.1 deposits in today's Federal Republic of Germany
• 4.1.2 Setting of the coal industry in Germany 4.1.2.1 Background subsidy withdrawal

Deposits

When coal is a sedimentary remains of plants, which initially form a peat bog and are then covered by other sediments. Under exclusion of air and pressure and heat can then form coal. This process is called coalification. The existing stone coal sediment layers are called seams. A coal deposit is present when the coal is to be found in an extended surface with sufficient thickness to reduce. After the formation is divided into freshwater and marine deposits.

Mining methods

Hard coal is mined depending on the geological conditions both in the day as well as in civil engineering.

Open-cast mining

The reduction is carried out either with bucket wheel excavators or backhoe. Mining has very low production costs by a high degree of mechanization. Disadvantages are the high land consumption and the destruction of the countryside. Opencast coal is mainly operated in Australia, Kazakhstan and the United States.

Civil engineering

Örterbau

The Örterbau is a method used mainly in the United States (English room- and- pillar ). It will be constructed so-called continuous miners checkerboard pattern in the seam routes. The method is very effective, but affected by mining losses of up to 60%.

Longwall mining

The other important today is the longwall mining method. The coal is mined in an up to 450 m long coal face peeling with a coal plow or cutting with a cutting drum. It can be conveyed from a daily face several thousand tons of coal. In the past ( and not in highly developed countries may still do) the coal was won in the face by miners with pick hammer and shovel.

Environmental impact

The impact of coal mining on the environment can be divided into two groups: land use and mining. Climate damage caused by CO2 emissions and overall environmental impact of other emissions, however, do not arise in the reduction of coal, but only from the exploitation, for example, when burned in power plants to generate electricity.

Open-cast mining

When mining the impact on the environment is mainly determined by the high land. Other environmental effects are the lowering of ground water and dust.

When applied in the Appalachian Mountaintop Removal mining process of the entire mountain tops are removed to obtain the underlying coal seams in mining. Due to the large widths of the seams and its relatively low in relation overburden thickness here is open-pit with large equipment efficiently than the civil engineering, in which such high reductions would occur, that the mountains would also largely destroyed. A theoretical alternative is the reduction of displacement, which, however, the deposits would be finally unbauwürdig. Mountaintop Removal mining changed the landscape dramatically.

Civil engineering

In civil engineering, the main effects are caused by reductions mining damage. These consist in damage to buildings in built-up areas and the need to fifth wheel of the river to ensure the flow. Further areas for stockpiles and ground facilities be availed during the service life of a mine. In Germany dumps must be designed as landscape structures since the 1980s, which are re-used for after the end of its life as recreational areas or otherwise. The workings are either dismantled or re-used for.

Flözbrände

Flözbrande may arise either by spontaneous combustion or by human activities, for example as a result of a mine fire. Damage caused by self-ignition Flözbrände occur only in coal seams, which consist of a tendency to spontaneous combustion of coal or where pyrophoric rocks in the intermediate agents or the hangend - or - lying layers occur. In addition, a supply of oxygen must be given, which is why the damage caused by self-ignition Flözbrände limited to seams, the hard nut at the surface or are connected by underground excavation with the ground surface. In a coal mine may the self-ignition of coal in case of non -observance of safety precautions when residual carbon remains in the old man and this is supplied by Schleich weather with oxygen. The environmental impact of Flözbrände exist in the emission of CO2, CO and other gases through the incomplete combustion and daily close Flözbränden in the loss of the ground surface for agricultural or other use.

Situation by State

Germany

In Germany, the German RAG Coal operates the remaining coal mines. RAG currently operates two mines in the Ruhr area (see Ruhr mining # Current Situation ) and the Ibbenbüren mine.

Deposits in the present Federal Republic of Germany

The most important German deposits are located in the Ruhr area in North Rhine-Westphalia and Ibbenbüren and Saarland ( Saar area ). Former coal-mining areas, where mining has already been set longer, the Aachen district, the Zwickau and the Lugau - Oelsnitzer coal mining area. In addition there existed many small coal mining areas of minor or local importance.

Setting of the coal industry in Germany

Since the 1960s, the cost in the West German coal industry are higher than the world market price. NRW state government and the federal government began to subsidize the coal mining ( and do so to this day ). This subsidy is set in 2018. Since a multiplication of the world market price is very unlikely, this means the end for the German coal industry. A unsubventionierter reduction would not be possible due to the cost structures. 2010, the average price on the other hand stood at € 85.33 / t of coal equivalent (see coal prices ), the production costs in Germany at about 160 € / tce. The coal consumption in Germany is approximately constant or slightly decreasing since the mid-1990s, as the gas consumption during the same period increased, the total energy consumption decreased by 6.6 % and renewable energy have been greatly expanded (see also wind power # statistics).

Background subsidy withdrawal

The exit from the subsidized coal industry for the year 2018 in the case since January 29, 2007 between the state governments and the federal government as a done deal, and the SPD of the closure of the mines agreed. In doing so kept the state of North Rhine - Westphalia, which gets out in 2015 from the subsidy payments, and the Social Democrats re-examination of the feasibility study and the decision in the year 2012 with regard to the social acceptability (so-called " review clause "). Therefore, it was not excluded that the subsidy payments will be made after 2018 on. An extension after 2018, or even a premature exit before 2018, would require an amendment to the coal -finance laws. The SPD supported under Kurt Beck ( SPD Chairman from April 2006 to September 2008 ) this compromise in the first place in order to " save face " in front of parts of the electorate. The revision clause was also true for the Saarland.

In May 2011, agreed to the Bundestag and the Bundesrat, that the revision clause shall be deleted.

A list of still currently active coal mines with the data of the planned closures can be found here.

Coal production in Germany 1945-2006

Workers in the German coal mining industry 1945-2006

Museums in Germany

In former German coal industry today remember several museums, including:

• German Mining Museum in Bochum
• Saarländisches mining museum in Bexbach in Saarland
• Industrial Museum Zollern mine in Dortmund
• Museum of Industrial Culture in Osnabruck
• Mining Museum Oelsnitz Oelsnitz / Erzgebirge (former Kaiserin-Augusta-/Karl-Liebknecht-Schacht )
• Zeche Nachtigall in Witten
• World Heritage Site Zeche Zollverein in Essen
• Home and mining museum Reinsdorf (Saxony )
• Deutsches Museum in Munich
• Mining museum in Ibbenbüren

Spain

In particular, the Basque Country and Asturias have a significant coal mining and an extensive mining industry.

Czechia

The mining of coal takes place in Ostrava basin in Moravian-Silesian Region. In addition, other eligible areas consisted, inter alia, in the Pilsen basin around Zbůch, in Schatzlarer area at Lampertice and in Rossitz - Oslawaner area. There was the colliery Dul Jindrich II at Zbysov the deepest 1550 m coal mine in the country; they were closed in 1992.

Great Britain

In Britain, the coal mining since the 18th century grew to a substantial basis of the then outgoing industrialization. Since the emergence characterize intense political conflicts over the working conditions, the right to strike and the activity of the first unions in the 20th century as the change between nationalization and privatization. After the British miners' strike of 1984/1985 the mining and in particular the number of employees has been greatly reduced. Still, the British coal covers a weighty share of the UK's electricity needs, this is however been declining markedly since the 1970s and is predominantly covered with cheaper imported coal. In 2013 were three mines and eight surface mines in operation.

The longest continuously promoting coal mine in the UK, possibly the world, Tower Colliery was in South Wales. Opened in 1805, it survived in the 1980s politically enforced extensive reduction of coal mining in the UK about a takeover of the workforce. Tower Colliery was closed in 2008; in the neighboring Aberpergwym mine will continue to be promoted. In the UK it is planned, among other things, with the partially controversial Ffos -y- fran land Reclamation Scheme ( mining ) in Merthyr Tydfil in South Wales to revive the British coal industry again.

United States

At the beginning of the 18th century was coal mined in the United States, from 1730 systematically in Midlothian, Virginia. and heard only petroleum to the important domestic energy sources. Steel production and industrialization came from the so-called Rust Belt.

Australia

With 348 million tons of annual production in 2009 Australia is one of the major producing countries in the world. Australia is the largest coal exporter in the world with 260 million tonnes in 2008, most of it goes to China. In addition, 85 % of Australia's electricity is produced in coal-fired power plants ..

China

In China, coal is mined both in the day as well as in civil engineering. Although China is 2.93 billion tons (2009) of approximately 18,000 mines the largest producer of coal, it now consumes even more coal than it can promote. While it still was able to export a small amount of 2006 has to import the country since 2007 coal.

Coal production in China is hampered mainly by coal fires, with coal seams ignite a large area. In this way, burn in China each year about 20 million tons of coal; another 200 million tons are useless for mining. In addition, the coal fires endanger the health and lives of people in the immediate vicinity.

Colombia

In Colombia Coal is mined both in the day as well as in civil engineering. With El Cerrejón Colombia has one of the largest coal surface mines in the world. El Cerrejón alone did in 2008, 42% of Colombian promotion. Colombia supported 72.8 million tons of coal in 2009. It was thus in 10th place in the ranking of the coal- producing countries. With an export volume of 68.7 million tonnes ( 2008) Colombia lies in 5th place of coal- exporting countries.