lignite mining
Soft coal harvesting
Lignite mining is the extraction of lignite, a soft brownish coal that represents an early stage in coal formation.
Because lignite lies relatively close to the surface, it's typically extracted through open-pit mining rather than underground operations.
Lignite has lower energy content than harder coals but remains economical where deposits are abundant: Lignite mining dominates the energy sector in parts of Germany and Texas.
- thermal power plantsFacilities generating electricity from heat
- spoil heapAccumulated excavation debris
- mine tailingsWaste from ore processing
- peatWaterlogged decomposed vegetation
- briquettesCompressed combustible blocks
sedimentary rock · fossil fuel · overburden · brown coal · carbon content · coal seam · air pollution · reclamation · environmental impact · carbon taxes · blasting · carbon emissions · habitat destruction · power plant · dragline · mineral deposit · deposit · open pit
- East German Industrychemical industry, steel mills, heavy machinery, machine tools, shipyards
- geologybedrock, fault lines, faults, rock, basalt
- pollutionair pollution, water pollution, soil pollution, smog, toxic waste
- East GermanyStasi, GDR, DDR, Berlin Wall, East Germany
- Energiewendeenergy transition, renewables, green energy, clean energy, wind power
- Harz Regionnational park, spruce forests, spruce forest, silver mines, lynx
lignite miningland reclamation
Creating ground from water
ecological restoration · reforestation · environmental restoration · habitat restoration · rewilding