The coal file vol.2: Das Braunkholeland

Dates

2016 - 2017
Author

Pietro Viti
Topics Landscape, Documentary
Location Germany, Germany

The Coal File is an ongoing documentary project focused on the European energy production from coal. Divided in chapters, it started in 2015 with an analysis of the italian landscape, and continues between 2016 and 2017 in Germany.

The Coal Industry in the Rhine Valley

One of the most relevant area in Europe for the production and the consumption of coal is the Rhine valley area, few kilometers west from Köln. Endless lignite surface mines makes entire towns to be demolished and built in other areas. Artificial hills covers the old exhausted mines, and are now in use for agriculture and wind power turbines. Big coal plants are disseminated in the area, including the biggest coal plant in the world, Neurath, taller than the famous gothic catedral of Köln, the third tallest church ever built.

Neurath old plant. The lignite coal arrives here by train, mainly from the same region.

An artificial hill, n used for farming and wind energy production

The north-west corner of Garzweiler mining area. This big surface mine has an extension of 48 km², and still growing.

Residential area in Grevenbroich. A large part of the local population works in the lignite market.

© Pietro Viti - Image from the The coal file vol.2: Das Braunkholeland photography project

A greenhouse close to the Neurath 1 coal plant. The exceeding heat is conveyed from the power station in order to grow food at higher temperature, with artificial UV light.

A train carrying coal to the Frimmesdorf power station. The area is full of watercourses, in order to supply the power station with a large mass of water.

The central part of Garzweiler, with the huge extracions machinery. The name come from the ex village of Garzweiler, demolished and moved, like several other villages in the region.

An horse breeding farm. The huge condesation clouds coming from the local energy plantes are always visible from the ground and from the sky.

A view of the Neurath 2 & 3 power plant area, from a turnip field 2 km far. Higher and bigger than the Köln cathedral, is the biggest lignite power plant in the world.