Amsdorf Coal Mine

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Amsdorf Coal Mine is a surface coal mine in the state of Saxony, Germany.

Location

The map below shows the exact location of the coal mine in the state of Saxony, Germany.

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Background

Amsdorf Mine is a fairly small lignite mine which began operations in 1959. It is owned and operated by Romonta GmbH, a subsidiary of the chemicals company Romonta Bergwerks Holding, which uses the highly bituminous coal mainly to manufacture crude montan wax (of which Romonta is one of the world’s largest producers).[1] On May 15, 2020, the company shares of the ROMONTA Bergwerks Holding AG had been sold in full to a consortium of buyers of the GETEC Energie Holding GmbH corporation with retroactive effect as of January 1, 2020.[2] GETEC Energie Holding GmbH holds 48%, while Opus Beteiligungs GmbHholds 26% and LaBelle GmbH holds another 26%.[1]

The mine has an expected life span through 2025 to 2030.[3][4]

The lignite extracted from the Amsdorf mine is bituminous (i.e. it contains components that are also contained in crude oil). The bitumen is extracted from lignite. The remaining components of the lignite are burnt in the Romonta power plant. The power plant produces process steam and electricity electricity for wax extraction.[4]

As of 2023, the mine was in operation.[5]

In June 2023, the construction of the new power plant for montan was production was progressing, scheduled to go online in mid-2024 and help the company to phase out coal burning. Instead, household and commercial waste will be burnt.[6]

Mine Details

  • Owner: Romonta GmbH[1]
  • Parent Company: GETEC Energie Holding GmbH[1][2]
  • Location: Saxony, Germany
  • Coordinates: 51.4591, 11.7179 (exact)
  • Mine status: Operating
  • Start year: 1959[3]
  • Production capacity (Mtpa): 0.3 Mt (2015)[4], 0.49 Mt (2021)[2]
  • Total reserves (Mt): 6 Mt (2015)[4]
  • Coal type: Lignite
  • Mine type: Surface
  • Mine size (Km2): 2[7]
  • Workforce size:
  • Primary consumer:
  • Source of financing:

Articles and Resources

References

  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 "BRAUNKOHLE IN DEUTSCHLAND Daten und Fakten 2022" (PDF). /braunkohle.de. 2023. {{cite web}}: line feed character in |title= at position 11 (help)CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  2. 2.0 2.1 2.2 "The German lignite industry in 2021 (page 84)" (PDF). braunkohle.de. 2022.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  3. 3.0 3.1 "Germany’s three lignite mining regions", Clean Energy Wire, August 7, 2018.
  4. 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 Die deutsche Braunkohlenwirtschaft, Agora Energiewende, accessed June 2022.
  5. "COAL-POWERED CRISIS" (PDF). ejfoundation.org. June 2023.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  6. "Ausstieg aus Kohleverbrennung bei Romonta". www.sueddeutsche.de. June 2023.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  7. Die deutsche Braunkohlenwirtschaft, The Oeko-Institut, accessed June 2022.