Energy transition - After 50 years, it's over: no more coal from Jänschwalde
Regular lignite mining operations at the Jänschwalde open-cast mine have come to an end. Brandenburg's Minister President Dietmar Woidke (SPD) received the last piece of coal. It was an emotional moment for the miners, as lignite had been mined in Jänschwalde for almost 50 years.
Other opencast mines of the energy company Leags in Lusatia will continue to be operated. The coal phase-out has been agreed for 2038. Leag is planning a conversion to renewable energies.
"Now comes the final and equally important phase in the life of an open-cast mine: recultivating the tipping areas, securing embankments, creating lakes and raising the groundwater," said Minister President Woidke, who grew up not far from the open-cast mine. "However, the end of coal mining in the Jänschwalde open-cast mine is not the end of the industrial and energy region of Lusatia." New settlements and new industrial jobs are being created.
"Our respect and esteem goes to the men and women who have worked hard in the open-cast mine in all weathers so that we can reliably draw our electricity from the socket," said Head of Government Woidke before the ceremonial "shift change" on Friday.
Switch to solar power
With the departure from coal mining in Jänschwalde, north-east of Cottbus, the company is pressing ahead with the construction of a solar plant on the former open-cast mining areas. Leag's Production Director, Philipp Nellessen, told RBB-Inforadio that around 2,500 hectares have already been restored. "We will then also build the first small section of this several hundred megawatt solar plant on these first areas."
However, work at the Jänschwalde open-cast mine will not stop completely at the end of the year. According to Leag, geotechnical safety measures are still pending in the first few months of next year.
Benjamin Raschke, chairman of the Green parliamentary group in the state parliament, criticized that despite the company's public promises to carry out the recultivation work, the financing of this is still unclear. The Greens proposed a public foundation for the consequences of lignite mining. Lakes are also to be created on the lignite areas in future.
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Source: www.stern.de
