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With an operating time of almost 80 years, from the start of the first sinking work in the mining shafts in the 1920s to the dismantling of the company buildings at the turn of the millennium, the Grimberg colliery site with the two underground shafts Grimberg 3 and 4 was a central part of the town of Bergkamen, once the largest mining town in Europe.
The Grimberg 3 and Grimberg 4 shafts, at around 1,600 metres and 1,100 metres respectively, are among the deepest shafts in the entire Ruhr region. In 1946, the Grimberg 3 shaft was the scene of the worst German mining accident with over 400 fatalities due to a so-called "firedamp explosion". Mine gas escaping from the deposit mixed with the omnipresent coal dust underground, which ultimately led to the ignition of the explosive mixture. In view of the mine gases still escaping from the shafts, the need for technically qualified protection of the mining shafts is evident.
Today, a new and sustainable residential neighbourhood "Wohnen in der Waldsiedlung" with a total of 120 properties is to be built on the site of the former Grimberg 3/4 mine, with the two secured mine shafts at its centre. The experts from TABERG Ingenieure GmbH planned the collection and controlled discharge of the mine gases escaping from the shafts. For this purpose, the covered shafts Grimberg 3 and 4 were uncovered and covered with a drainage body and a sealing sheet. The rising mine gas can thus be safely contained and discharged in a controlled manner.
The official ground-breaking ceremony with the participation of the project company and the city of Bergkamen took place on 9 November 2023.