Representatives of the Platform visited German towns in transition
Representatives of coal mining communities of Donetsk region visited the Ruhr region of Germany looking for ideas for green recovery. The Ruhr area is known for transforming from an industrial coal region into a science-based one, where the majority of the population now works in the service sector. The region is focusing on the reuse of former industrial sites, soil remediation and water treatment, while continuing to search for a new urban identity.
As part of the exchange programme of the Initiative for coal regions in transition in the Western Balkans and Ukraine, representatives of the Platform for Sustainable Development of Donetsk region visited towns in the Ruhr region that are transforming after phasing out coal and switching to renewable energy sources. The delegation visited such cities as Zarbek, Ibenburen, Gelsenkirchen and Herten, and Bochum.
Zarbek – an active climate community
Zarbeck is a town that in 2013 covered 100% of its electricity needs with renewable energy sources. In addition, the local population is involved in the energy transition process through participation in discussions, creation and implementation of projects, joining an energy cooperative, and through educational programmes (from the youngest to university students). The main projects that have been implemented or are being implemented are the installation of solar panels, a bioenergy park on the site of a former ammunition depot, and decarbonisation of heating. The community is currently planning to switch to district heating from renewable energy, and part of the reasoning behind it is because Russia’s gas blackmail and the increase in gas prices due to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
“If there were more communities like this, the world would be safer,” says Oleksandr Brykalov, mayor of Myrnohrad.
Ibenburen – a town in search of better solutions to the “eternal question” of maintaining water levels in a mine
The last mine in Ibenburen was closed in 2018. The miners either retired prematurely or found new jobs with the support of the union and the coal company. The technology that the city plans to use to pump out the mine water involves keeping the water level at a certain depth to minimise water pollution and treatment costs. In the future, the area is to be transformed into an industrial park, with space not only for industry and green areas for recreation, but also habitats for species (such as bats and swallows) that previously inhabited the coal mine and surrounding buildings. Attracting new businesses is still a long way off, and the landscaping work is already underway.
“We want to leave behind clean nature, not scorched earth,” said a representative of Germany’s largest coal mining company, RAG.
Gelsenkirchen and Herten are towns in search of a new identity integrated with their mining past
The two cities exist together because their boundaries intersect in the industrial area between them, where former mines and a coking plant are located. The land in the area is highly contaminated due to the coal industry. In addition, there are still remnants of fuel oil contamination from the Second World War. Therefore, the community pays a lot of attention to soil restoration and parks, and in its vision of the future, it prefers to integrate the achievements of previous generations in combination with urban transformation.
“Life after coal goes on,” said Bernd Loze, CEO of the development company Neue Zeche Westerholt.
Bochum, a town heavily damaged by the Second World War and flooded mines, will now use mine water for heating
Bochum has undergone significant changes over the past century – including the transformation of the former mine sites. After the Second World War and the flooding of the mines, the Opel plant operated on this territory. But later, the production became unprofitable, and the owner could not leave the territory without carrying out reclamation measures. Now, the former mine site is home to an innovation centre, a space for investors and start-ups called Mark 51°7. It is also a university space for students and residents of Bochum who want to experiment and create their own projects. Currently, a heating and cooling system is being built on the site, which will be powered by the heat from the mine water.
Representatives of civil society organisations and local governments from Vuhledar and Myrnohrad expressed interest in the possibility of further cooperation and learning from the experience of the visited communities. As the mayor of Vuhledar 2015-2021 noted, “It was important to learn about pumping water out of flooded mines and the restoration of the Ruhr region in the post-war period – this could be useful for the restoration of destroyed mining towns.” There is still a lot of work to be done.