The Elbingerode open-cast mine

The Elbingerode complex

The Elbingerode complex on which you are standing is exceptionally thick at 400 metres and is one of the and one of the most important and highest quality mass limestone deposits in Germany.

The massif was formed around 350 million years ago in the Devonian formed. Large parts of the Harz were under under water. Over millions of years, shellfish, crustaceans, mussels and skeletons have accumulated on the ground, shellfish, crustaceans, mussels and skeletons have sedimented and solidified into extraordinarily hard limestone.

The Elbingerode open-cast mine

Exploration work began in 1971. In 1973, the Elbingerode open-cast mine went into regular operation.

• The Harz limestone is characterised by its purity (>97%) and homogeneity.
• The available reserves of approx. 1.2 billion tonnes will last for around 250 years.
• The open-cast mine has an extension of approx. 1,000 m x 1,200 m.
• Up to 3 million tonnes of limestone are extracted and refined here every year.
• Around 160 million tonnes of limestone have been quarried since  1973.

From the three Upper Harz locations Rübeland, Kaltes Tal and Hornberg, industrial customers are supplied to industrial customers by rail or lorry. Approx. 60% of the quantities are transported by rail.

Open-cast mining management

• The limestone is extracted by blasting.
• The majority of the rock is transported via the almost 3.8 km long conveyor system for further processing to the Rübeland plant.
• Mining in the open-cast mine has now reached the 3rd level. Each level has a wall height of 30 metres.
• Large Caterpillar machines pick up the rubble (CAT 992 wheel loader; the second largest in the world, bucket volume 25 tonnes, dead weight 100 tonnes) and transport it to the primary crushers, where the stones are crushed again and screened into different sizes. The stones are then transported by conveyor belt or dump truck (CAT 777 – total weight loaded 160 tonnes) to their destination.