Bochum, Germany, 29/30 September 2026
Agenda
Presentations (single file)
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This high-level event, held under the patronage of the state government of North Rhine-Westphalia, provided an opportunity to learn about some of the many projects supported by the Research Fund for Coal and Steel and to discuss how these fit with EU policy objectives. The fund is managed by the European Research Executive Agency (REA) on behalf of the Directorate-General for Research and Innovation (DG RTD). The two-day conference was co‑organised with the Coal Regions in Transition Initiative and brought important perspectives from the Directorate-General for Energy (DG ENER) and the Directorate-General for Environment (DG ENV) at the European Commission.
This report covers the first day, held at the German Mining Museum and moderated by Tobias Häusler, a prominent TV and radio host. He warmly welcomed around 200 participants to Bochum and reflected that the next chapter in the Ruhr region’s history was still being written, following the end of hard coal mining in 2018. The University of Applied Sciences Georg Agricola (THGA) played an important part in the regional transformation story, notably its Research Center of Post-Mining which he explained was a co-organiser of the event.
Welcome ceremony and keynotes
The Mayor of Bochum, Jörg Lukat, gave an opening address in which he gave some background to the world-renowned German Mining Museum, its iconic headframe, and underground workings, built so that visitors could experience mining. From a small agricultural town to a large industrial city, the history of Bochum was dominated by structural change, he observed, “it’s in our DNA”. When Dannenbaum Colliery closed in the late 1950s, an Opel car plant creating 20 000 jobs in Bochum until 2014. Today, he explained, the MARK 51°7 district for small companies and research institutes uses old mine water for geothermal energy and aims to employ 10 000. With THGA – founded in 1816 and still expanding – and the Ruhr University Bochum – the first new university in the Federal Republic of Germany – the city had become a centre for learning for 50 000 students. To manage the post-mining legacy, especially water management, Mr. Lukat referred to the many responsibilities of the RAG Stiftung, assisted by scientists and engineers. He was optimistic that the opportunities available in the region were being grasped and thanked the European Commission for helping to create the new future.
Silke Krebs, State Secretary for Economic Affairs, Industry, Climate Action and Energy in the state government of North Rhine-Westphalia, delivered a keynote on behalf of Deputy Minister-President Mona Neubaur. She began by looking back at the 1950s when NRW had 150 deep coal mines employing almost 500 000 in the Ruhrgebeit. Whereas steel and coal dominated then, she observed, knowledge does today – the region has twenty-two universities and colleges, plus many research institutes. The phase out of Rhenish lignite mining by 2030 was also well underway, she continued, with the aim that NRW becomes the first climate-neutral industrial region by 2045.
Ms. Krebs turned to the challenging geopolitical situation for Europe, including in Ukraine, which has made access to critical raw materials and energy supply security political priorities alongside climate change. She was grateful that the RFCS had brought together researchers from across Europe to work in support of the coal regions, with their different starting points and different solutions. Here, she praised the contribution of the EU Just Transition Fund to much-needed projects. A long-term vision and public acceptance were central, she continued, so that energy transition and industrial transformation projects can be designed and executed profitably– “a marathon, not a sprint”, she said. In this respect, the recommendations of the new Bürgerrat Rheinisches Revier or citizens’ assembly have brought policymaking closer to the people, she reported. Ms. Krebs advised working together on shared plans that build on regional identities, while remaining flexible enough to change these plans as events unfold. “Glückauf”, she wished delegates in conclusion.
Martin Špolc, the recently appointed Director for Prosperity at the European Commission Directorate-General for Research and Innovation, thanked the hosts and commended the efforts of the RFCS and CRiT to bring together stakeholders with different backgrounds before outlining the ambitious policies of the EU, 75 years after the founding of its predecessor, the European Coal and Steel Community. The EU’s future cannot be based on fossil fuels, he said, and this fact needed to be embraced as part of the EU’s drive for strategic autonomy. He turned to the funding and technical assistance available to support the coal regions, including the recently reformed RFCS which had 161 active projects across Europe receiving €375 million in support. Of these, 42 were coal-related research projects, with six large projects at high-TRLs, and all aimed at industrial transformation or environmental protection in line with the EU’s target for climate neutrality. Mr. Špolc viewed the coal regions as a laboratory to prove the success of Europe’s green, resilient and competitive future. To achieve this, the opportunities created by research and innovation needed to be deployed at speed, he continued, a landscape that includes advanced manufacturing, robotics, AI and advanced materials. He looked forward to a future EU budget which continued to support the Commission’s initiatives on regional development and environmental protection, working with member states, the regions and local stakeholders to turn challenged into opportunities.
Dr. Marian Zmarzły was appointed Undersecretary of State at the Polish Ministry of Energy in October 2025 after a career in the coal industry, including as a mine manager. He addressed the question of moving away from coal, noting that Poland would close three more mines in 2026. These and other actions by his government were in accordance with the Social Contract for the Mining Industry signed in May 2021 with trade unions that will see hard coal mining phased out by 2049. He said that the Polish government had notified the European Commission of its intentions and provided details of the country’s energy mix to 2030 in an updated National Energy and Climate Plan in June. Referring to meetings at RAG and RAG Stiftung, Dr. Zmarzły was pleased to have had the opportunity to visit Germany where the first stage of energy transformation had already been completed. He recognised the important economic, social and environmental challenges of transition, as well as the ongoing need for water management post mining. In Poland, he saw an economy switching quickly towards renewable energy sources, but the current geopolitical situation meant that renewed attention had to be given at the national and EU levels to energy and raw materials security. Poland had therefore embarked on a nuclear programme, he said, while valuing its interconnections with other member states. He concluded on the need for innovation so that new solutions can be implemented by industry. With this, he wished participants fruitful discussions.
The European Association for Coal and Lignite (EURACOAL) was proud to have supported the event, said Prof. Alicja Krzemień in her welcoming remarks. As the association’s President since 2024, she explained the current situation of the coal industry in Europe where production was falling and would continue to fall in line with EU climate targets. For example, lignite production in Germany would halve by 2030 and end by 2038. In the EU, only Poland mined hard coal while Türkiye had become Europe’s largest coal importer, she added. New uses for mines and power plants were needed, she continued – the subject of the morning session on energy production and storage. Restoring land so that it can be used productively and safely would be addressed in the afternoon session, she announced, while the second day would show how regional experience and networks such as CRiT can inform research. Prof. Krzemień presented the genesis of the event which followed previous RFCS dissemination events held at the European Parliament in Brussels, at Oviedo in Spain, and at Jastrzębie-Zdrój in Poland hosted by JSW S.A. She was pleased that, at the Bochum event, researchers had the opportunity to meet other stakeholders with direct experience of coal regional development. The passion they had for their research projects was clear, she said, exploiting their results was a joint task. To that end, the RFCS HIGH-LEVEL project was supporting more dissemination events to further raise awareness of the RFCS research programme (Romania in September 2027 and Spain in September 2028). Prof. Krzemień invited participants to declare their concrete regional needs and present research whose applicability can be tested, while being being open to potential partners.
Keynotes on driving water resilience across Europe’s need for strategic autonomy in Critical Raw Materials and water use to restore the Rhenish lignite region
As Director for Zero Pollution, Water Resilience and Green Urban Transition at the European Commission Directorate-General for Environment, Veronica Manfredi shared an important policy perspective. She began with praise for State Secretary Krebs advice on flexible planning and highlighted the presence of four Commission services who viewed the wonderful Ruhr region as a critical incubator for EU goals on energy security, strategic autonomy in critical raw materials, and clean transition. Just as decisive, she said, was water resilience, citing the many uses of water that must all become more sustainable. After “a summer of truth”, all member states faced water scarcity issues. Ms. Manfredi noted that her Commissioner, Jessika Roswall, was responsible for environment, water resilience and a competitive circular economy – the first Commissioner to have water in her title. With the adoption of the Water Resilience Strategy in June 2025, she said, the Commission sought better implementation of existing EU law. She announced that Germany would sign a political declaration with Commissioner Roswall on 5 October 2026 to step up its own water resilience.
Ms. Manfredi called for a cross-cutting response to floods and droughts, involving all stakeholders and public/private finance while making best use of digital technology and AI, as well as pushing innovation and skills. The European Flood Awareness System, the European Drought Observatory and Water Resilience Stakeholder Platform were examples, she explained, of how the Commission was working to assist member states and stakeholders, including the mining industry, to achieve complete water security by 2050. On water, she wanted all sectors “to use as little as possible, and to reuse as much as we can to be climate resilient by design”, pointing to the bespoke guidance on implementing the Water Framework Directive published in May 2026. Here, she announced the Commission would shortly publish a new, science-based integrated framework for European climate resilience and risk management to help ensure secure infrastructure as well as good quality surface and ground waters. On critical raw materials, she emphasised the role of recycling but spoke also of the need for strategic partnerships beyond the EU. Internationally, she observed a split around the clean transition agenda, reflecting geopolitical tensions. Ms. Manfredi was optimistic that innovation would see the former industrial areas repurposed and prosper. Without innovation, others would overtake us, she warned. With a nod to the next speaker, and as a past president of the International Commission for the Protection of the Rhine, she remarked that the planned lakes in the Rhenish lignite mining area were a signal of renewal, but also carried risks and transboundary issues which she hoped would be tackled in the spirit of European solidarity.
Dr. Christian Eling, Head of Mine Planning at RWE Power, delivered a presentation on the creation of pit lakes in the Rhenish mining area of North Rhine-Westphalia where, after a century of large-scale mining, the company still operates the Garzweiller, Hambach and Inden mines to fuel power plants with a capacity of 6 GW. With phase-out plans well advanced, he explained mining would end by 2030. High-quality recultivation was a major ongoing task, he said, as was regional support during a structural change that had already seen many jobs losses in the lignite sector. Dr. Eling explained that some power plants may be kept on standby until 2033, so the Garzweiller closure plan had to be flexible while allowing recultivation work to continue regardless and lake filling from 2036. Filling of the remaining voids at Hambach and Inden would begin immediately in 2030, he continued, such that by 2040 Hambach would be 25% filled and completely by around 2070. He moved on the explain the complexities of groundwater management to prevent the flooding of operational mines, but also to provide water for many uses, including the conservation of wetlands. The stability of slopes within the mine during refilling and the protection of wetlands depend on careful water management, he continued, but the design intent was to eventually reach a natural balance without the need for perpetual water management. A video of the 45-kilometre Rhine water transport pipeline, now under construction to Garzweiller and Hambach using steel pipes of up to 2.2 metres in diameter, showed how up to 18 m3/s of water will be pumped to the mines (cf. the River Rhine average flow of more than 2 200 m3/s). Abstraction will be reduced to 1.8 m3/s during periods of low water levels and monitoring installed to ensure impacts are minimised, all in line with the EU Water Framework Directive and NRW River Basin Management Plan. Hambach lake will become Germany’s second largest lake by volume after Lake Constance. The new Indesee lake will be created using water from the River Rur via an 800-metre, gravity-fed pipeline with filling completed by around 2055. To conclude, Dr. Ehling showed examples of how the landscape surrounding the growing pit lakes would be developed in accordance with the wishes of the municipalities, and temporary access routes created for recreation.
Session 1 – RFCS projects on energy production and energy storage
This session explored how former coal mines and power plant sites can become strategic assets for Europe’s future energy system.
Dr.-Ing. Thomas Kempka, Head of the Working Group on Coupled Processes in Hydrosystems at the GFZ Helmholtz Centre for Geosciences, presented two RFCS projects: ATLANTIS on the feasibility of pumped-hydro power storage at former open pit mines and TRIDENT on thermal energy storage in pit lakes. ATLANTIS, completed in August 2024, explored how former lignite mines could be used for large-scale energy storage, turning environmental liabilities into economic assets. Best practice guidelines were published covering all aspects of using former open pits for pumped hydro based on assessments made at mines in Greece and Poland. Dr. Kempka was pleased to report that one of the project partners, PPC Group of Greece, was currently implementing two pumped hydro projects with a €750 million budget and was planning a third one as part of a wider transformation of its business towards renewable energy sources. The project had identified similar potential at several other sites across Europe, he added, cautioning that public acceptance was not a given. TRIDENT had just begun he explained and would examine how surplus heat could be stored seasonally for district heating in insulated lakes, each of around 100 metres in diameter. The project would assess the economic feasibility and reduce the design uncertainties and environmental risks, be concluded.
Dr.-Ing. Jochen Ströhle, Deputy Head of the Department of Energy Systems and Technology at the Technical University of Darmstadt, presented several projects motivated by the need for daily and seasonal energy storage as the output of variable renewable energy sources grew. One attractive option was demonstrated in the CORAL project using the reduction/oxidation of a metal (iron/iron oxide) for energy storage linked to heat and power supply. Metals, he said, offered a high energy density and low cost compared with many other storage options, especially if former coal power plant assets could be used as the basis for new energy storage systems. Testing of a 1 MW pilot was scheduled for 2027. If successful, this could be followed by the erection of a new or retrofitted demonstration plant to enable commercial deployment from 2033. Dr. Ströhle also introduced two other, related projects: HIGHWAY for high-temperature energy storage in solids and HELIA for hydrogen production by the steam oxidation of iron with steam. Both these projects also made use of fluidised bed and involve Sumitomo SHI FW, a provider of this technology based in Finland.
Dr. Jerzy Jagoda, Design and Research Specialist at the KOMAG Institute of Mining Technology in Poland, presented POSTEN, a high-TRL project for floating solar PV farms with single-wire power transmission. With a total cost of almost €14 million, POSTEN aims to give degraded mining areas a second life – land which might be flooded, swampy or unstable – using moveable, modular components to create an integrated energy system of floating solar PV with tracking capability, battery energy storage and 100 kW single-wire energy transfer (SWET). He reported that five pilot systems were in development which would be followed by a demonstrator in 2028 with up to 2 MW peak output and 2 MWh storage capacity.
Dr. Dariusz Jasiulek, Head of Projects and Implementation Department at ENNECOR Sp. z o.o. and co-ordinator of the €16 million SCoLINE project at KTKM Sp. z o.o., explained the novel anchoring system that would allow solar PV systems to be safely and cheaply located on spoil heaps for clean energy production. Steep slopes and unstable land make any construction difficult on mining waste heaps, he observed, so SCoLINE envisages a system of lightweight supporting structures for PV panels, composite anchoring systems, and composite poles for power transmission lines. By 2030, he expected SCoLINE to have delivered a validated solution, ready for deployment at similar sites across Europe.
Panel session 1
Véronique Marx, Team Leader for Just Transition and Energy Poverty in DG Energy at the European Commission, led a discussion on the potential to scale up energy production and storage projects in the coal regions, addressing any regulatory, financial or market barriers. She asked panellists how to successfully transition from pilot projects to real industrial-scale deployment?
Philipp Schollmeyer, Managing Director of the German Brown Coal Association (DEBRIV) explained that business models needed to demonstrate positive returns in a given market over the entire life of an energy project which may be ten or even twenty years. This, he said, meant a stable and realistic regulatory framework without unexpected changes. As an example, he pointed to hydrogen-based systems which were not yet commercial and therefore needed realistic technical regulation that allows projects to proceed to discover what is possible. Turning to projects being implementing, he linked these to his member companies’ available infrastructure (land and grid connections): wind and solar PV, battery energy storage and waste-to-energy. He noted these new projects were much less energy dense and created less employment than the past lignite activities. Diversification has also built on companies’ expertise, for example, engineering maintenance for the rail and other industries.
On sustainable mining, Ms. Marx was keen to know what could be learnt from an international perspective. Leon Riedel, Project Specialist for the Global Alliance for Responsible and Green Minerals at the UN Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO), referred to the bigger ecosystem that builds up around any mine and the potential for improvement through efficiency and the electrification of equipment which creates a demand for clean electricity. He cited a UNIDO project in Zambia where Hitachi was deploying hybrid haul trucks at a mine. On efficiency, he spoke of not only technical efficiency but also the efficiency use of manpower through retraining. In Indonesia, UNIDO encouraged post-mining to be part of mine design with, for example, adjacent industrial parks to give economic breadth. He cautioned that economics were decisive, so efficiency needed to be mastered, especially in the case of downstream processing of minerals – as China and the Lobito Corridor in Africa have demonstrated. In this respect, he believed the dissemination of knowledge from RFCS projects would be beneficial in the Global South. Ms. Marx also pointed to the Public Inclusion Toolbox for Renewable Energy, published by the European Commission in July 2026, as a source of advice on successful project development with community participation.
Dr. Ángeles Gómez Borrego, Senior Researcher at the Spanish Institute for Carbon Science and Technology (INCAR-CSIC) in Oviedo (twinned with Bochum) and Chair of RFCS Technical Group TGK2, was asked about future technologies that should be supported. She said the many projects supported by the RFCS over the last 25 years, including those presented earlier, had created knowhow and infrastructure of great value as economies de-fossilise, but not decarbonise she warned, as carbon is still needed in the form of graphite and coke, for example, being critical raw material. In Asturias, a former mining region, public acceptance of new projects had been generally positive, she reported, but dwindled over time if regeneration was delayed. Constant engagement was the only way, she opined, even for pilot research projects.
Dr. Oliver Then, Executive Managing Director of vgbe energy e.V. in Germany and a member of the RFCS Coal Advisory Group, spoke on the shift from coal research towards repurposing and transformation projects. He said this applied equally to former power plants site, of which there were 300-500 across Europe, and former mine sites. Both carry liabilities, he continued, but both offer opportunities for new activities drawn from the huge portfolio of energy research projects supported under different EU programmes. He spoke of the “brownfield advantage” comprising land, grid connection and a skilled workforce which should be evaluated before power plants are dismantled. The RFCS-supported RECPP project did this evaluation, and he recommended making this knowledge more widely available as it would help identify the most economic projects to be pursued. Turning to the current geopolitical situation, Ms. Marx asked him how the resilience of European power system could be assured. Dr. Then agreed that the future target to decarbonise must now be married with security, resilience and affordability – a trilemma that creates new business opportunities shaped by market design which increasingly rewards system services, flexibility, black-start capabilities, storage, and reserve capacity. The repurposing of existing sites can make a positive contribution to indigenous supply, he continued, and RFCS big-ticket projects have helped to show what is possible in this respect at higher TRLs. If just a few of these led to private investment at commercial scale in a well-regulated market, then he considered that would be a success.
Ms. Marx asked Michael Weberink, Chief Executive Officer of the German Association for the Coal Industry and Post-Mining e. V. (bsn), about legislative issues. He underlined that site regeneration and re-use of assets was part of the commitment made to society following closure of the German hard coal industry. He referred to a cascade of plans from national, regional, and local which needed to be aligned with re-use of sites and management of environmental liabilities. In the Ruhr region, this included pumping 70 million cubic metres of mine water each year, discharging in the Rhine and other rivers. He explained that productive uses of this water, such as energy recovery, carry legal risks as wastewater requirements may apply rather than rules for mine water. On the future role of the RFCS, Mr. Weberink noted how the EU Methane Regulation had created many challenges with valid goals but without clear solutions and now occupied much of his time, alongside the well-known water management issues. He was optimistic that RFCS research could help find cost-effective solutions for methane measurement at former coal mines by drawing on an experienced community.
Rajko Kravanja, Mayor of the City of Castrop-Rauxel and who began his career as a coal miner, was asked about bottlenecks to redeveloping former mine sites. He said his city was constantly looking for new opportunities linked to heat and power supply which included scanning innovations such as those presented earlier. The decarbonisation of a large, 20-km heating network had become a priority, he said, but a problem for any new any project was the availability of land and electricity grid connections in a highly populated region. For this reason, former mine sites may be the only place available but can lead to conflicts of interest as many sites were closed 40 or 50 years ago and have undergone development – commercial and residential – without energy generation in mind. So, squeezing in new activities can be difficult without a clear land-use policy. On public acceptance and NIMBYism, he referred to the many consultations on noise, landscaping, views, and other aspects which could be problematic. Engagement through buy-in schemes whereby local communities and citizens can earn revenue from energy projects has, he said, been one positive way forward. Another way would be higher-level, longer-term planning to help realise important projects, he added.
Session 2 – Challenges linked to site restoration and risk management in the coal and lignite regions
This session examined how the application of R&I results can help in the restoration of post-mining landscapes safely and sustainably in line with Europe’s environmental and circular-economy goals.
Dr. Julia Haske, Head of Land Use & Transition at the Research Center of Post-Mining in the Technische Hochschule Georg Agricola (DMT-THGA) presented two projects, beginning with POTENTIALS on the opportunities for end-of-life coal mines and coal-fired power plants. This RFCS accompanying measure project identified the potential synergies between former mine sites and neighbouring industry, building business models that capitalise on the available energy assets and create new jobs. An example Eco Industrial Park (EIP) was used as a tool to engage with stakeholders and to prepare best-practice guidelines that can be used by the coal regions when developing their Territorial Just Transition Plans for submission to the European Commission. Turning to the new CRMsDataSpace project, Dr. Haske explained that it will develop technical guidelines and a demonstrator for assessing the potential of critical raw materials recovery at disused mine sites – the first European data space or catalogue for CRMs, integrating metadata, multimedia and analytical tools in line with the EU Critical Raw Materials Act.
Dr. Barbara Rogosz, Director of the Poltegor Institute, spoke on the rehabilitation of post-mining areas, the subject of three RFCS projects: REECOL, MiDSafe and RAFF with a focus on design and monitoring to ensure safety and sustainability. She explained MiDSafe studied 350 waste dumps across Europe which can present certain risks related to their stability with changing water conditions and vegetation cover. Good knowledge about them is important to avoid unexpected or unwanted outcomes, she said. The project collected and categorised this data, as well as conducting a public survey with 700 responses. 3D modelling was used to make predictions on the future stability of dumps. Dr. Rogosz presented the RAFF project on the restoration of open pits which often includes flooding that must be carefully managed to avoid any collapses of slopes. She gave an example of Lake Most, a 280-metre-deep former lignite mine which was monitored and modelled to prepare guidelines for the safe filling of the pit. She noted that cyclical water-level changes were found to be a decisive driver for stability. Finally, she reported on the ongoing REECOL project which assesses available and new techniques for the ecological restoration of post-mining areas. New tools – monitoring by satellites and UAVs – have allowed more data to be collected than in previous work, and new techniques – non-contact soil remediation with the precision application by canon of soil additives – have enabled Poltegor Institute and its partners to home in on economic land restoration techniques which are now included in a published European Audit Catalogue of techniques. Dr. Rogosz announced the final REECOL conference in Katowice on 5 November 2026.
Krasimira Ilieva, Head of the Project Management Unit in the Investment Department of Mini Maritsa Iztok EAD (MMI) in Bulgaria, presented the PRIMI project on the production of traditional and novel construction materials from waste clay at lignite mines. Undertaken with the University of Modena in Italy and the Bulgarian Academy of Science, the project was, she explained, an important part of the transformation of the Mini Maritsa Iztok complex (Maritsa East Mines complex) of mines and power plants while maintaining employment opportunities. Ms. Ilieva explained that 80–100 million cubic metres of clay were mined and discarded each year to gain access to the underlying lignite. This material had no economic value to the company, she said, and the aim of PRIMI was to create value by turning it into construction products. She added that the use of other industrial by-products and wastes is integral to the project, for example, power station fly ash and waste glass, to produce a range of materials with a lower-carbon footprint than traditional construction materials:
- lightweight ceramic foams and composites with improved thermal and acoustic insulation,
- low-firing and clinker ceramic bricks with enhance mechanical properties, and
- geopolymer materials and advanced geopolymer-based composites that can be produced at low temperatures.
Plans include material sampling, analysis and synthesis, four pilot plants for testing and demonstration at scale, the design of commercial plants, and a training programme for workers. Ms. Ilieva announced that sampling and analysis was well advanced and the public procurement procedures for a pilot plant had begun. After the project is completed, she was confident that pilot would be expanded for full-scale commercial production, making good use of MMI’s capability to supply power and handle large volumes of materials.
Panel session 2
Dr. Sebastiano Fumero, Head of Unit for Future Low Emission Industries, European Research Executive Agency, moderated the second panel session on site restoration and risk management. He asked Joachim Löchte, Technical Director at RAG AG, to elaborate on the Ruhr region’s ambition to become the “greenist industrial region in the world”. Mr. Löchte replied that by comparison with the past when coal and steel dominated in the region, great progress had already been made towards that ambition in the Ruhrgebiet and Saarland, both in terms of a greener landscapes and cleaner industries, including at Thyssen AG and RAG AG who were transforming along with the chemicals sector and power utilities. Dr. Fumero asked if this transformation was happening by strategic design or by chance. Mr. Löchte explained that the transformation process began in the 1950s with the idea that no one should be left behind – a social responsibility that grew out of Germany’s history and the good co‑operation and agreement between regional administrations, trade unions, and large corporations. He contrasted this with the situation in the UK where sharp and dramatic cuts were made in the coal industry.
Dr. Fumero turned to methane management and asked what steps were now needed. Mr. Löchte replied that the safety of coal mining had always depended on methane control which now extended, thanks to the EU Methane Regulation, to climate protection. He said RAG AG wanted to eliminate all risks to citizens and climate at the gassy mines for which it was responsible. Ideally, the gas should be drained from mines and used for energy generation, he explained, which is feasible and already done at some mines. With over 7 000 mine openings in the Ruhr region, it would be an enormous task to measure the emissions as required. He questioned what would then be done with such information if, for example, the methane concentration was too low to be useable. He called for a realistic and proportionate regulatory solution for methane at the EU level.
Turning to Dr. Alexey Alekseenko, Head of the Resource Nexus Laboratory for Post-Mining Inclusive Transition (REPOINT) at the United Nations University in Dresden, Dr. Fumero asked about the broader picture for critical raw materials. Dr. Alekseenko began by exploring criticality which was viewed differently around the world – he noted 34 materials were listed by the EU, including rare earths which, although abundant, were difficult to recover as rich deposits did not exist. Secondly, he identified the concentrated supply chains which created risks even for materials not currently considered critical. Thirdly, he spoke about the “resource nexus” – the integrated management of resources to minimise the trade-offs associated with mining. Here, he praised the approach at MMI in Bulgaria to view its waste clays as a resource to be exploited. Finally, he used the term “development minerals” to cover those materials needed for construction in large parts of the world simply to make progress (e.g. clay, gravel, and sand). So, when seeking critical raw materials, the EU should consider how the domestic needs of exporting countries can also be met. Dr. Fumero noted the great efforts made by the EU on development assistance, but wondered what proportion of critical raw material demand could be met through recovery from mining waste. Dr. Alekseenko divided his reply into technical potential – very high in Europe after centuries of mining – and realistic potential – rather low given the social resistance to mining and mineral processing which he found surprising given the high regulatory standards and low levels of corruption in the EU. On post-mining transition, he recommended flexibility as there was no silver bullet, only evidence-based solutions.
Dr. Barbara Rogosz, Director of the Poltegor Institute, was asked to elaborate how long it would take to remediate lignite mines in Poland using the techniques she had presented earlier. She explained that many pits had already been flooded in the Małopolska region, with water levels at some already reaching their pre-mining state. This experience would be very valuable when flooding the very large Bełchatów and Szczerców mines which are 250-metres deep and will require more than 3.2 billion cubic metres of water. Speeding up the process using surface water in a safe way, she said, would see the mines filled by 2067 rather than in the next century. Creating lakes, forests and mountains – as the mining company PGE SA does – is not an easy process, she concluded, but it will surely be done. She agreed that combining existing knowledge and new techniques from countries across Europe in toolkits for decision makers could help public authorities to plan and regulate mine site restoration, but added that it remained challenging to create such a common understanding among all stakeholders.
Dr. Christian Eling, Head of Mine Planning at RWE Power AG, spoke about the reclamation challenges at Rhenish lignite mines from the perspective of an operator responsible for an intergenerational project that must be planned within a short timeframe, given the accelerated phase out of coal mining. He pointed to the many approvals the must be in place to complete the project, the technical aspects of water management and structural stability, but also the decisions to be made by communities on how best to use their newly created landscapes and lakes. He highlighted the large number of stakeholders that were involved in the process, from all walks of life, in what was a complex task requiring regular dialogue. Speeding up these projects, did not mean fewer checks and balances, he said, but did require good communication and coordination with clear responsibilities. Dr. Fumero enquired about the reskilling efforts. Dr. Eling pointed to an ageing workforce in the lignite sector which meant some natural shrinkage, but also to the diversity of new development taking place around the mines as they are restored which was creating new employment opportunities, including RWE’s own renewable energy activities. These could ultimately include floating solar PV on the new lakes, but already include over 500 MW of solar and wind in the Rhenish area with plans to increase this to 1 000 MW by 2030. On the water scarcity question, Dr. Eling agreed that, at times, the Rhine may not have sufficient flow to allow abstraction for lake filling, but the plan was such that this can be compensate during winter months.
Dr. Fumero asked about the objectives and goals of the new PRISMINE project. Dr. Ioannis E. Zevgolis, Associate Professor, School of Mining and Metallurgical Engineering at the National Technical University of Athens (NTUA), outlined the €3.4 million project with eleven partners co-ordinated by the NTUA. He said mine closure was the end of an era, but the beginning of a new era of risk management that will change over time. The challenges is to make predictive assessments and anticipate future issues. PRISMINE uses earth observation data from satellites, UAV monitoring, and historic data for five case studies that will be processed using classical numerical modelling and AI models to make these predictive assessments within a decision-support platform for engineers, planners and policymakers. Dr. Zevgolis summarised the project’s aim: “To move from fragmented and often reactive monitoring towards integrated and predictive risk management – from understanding what is happening today to anticipating what will happened tomorrow so that we can make better decisions about reclamation, safety and future land use.” He believed people in post-mining areas needed to be convinced that they have a better future.
Dr. Fumero thanked the panellists for their good communication and dissemination of RFCS projects.
Future opportunities, conclusions and closing remarks
The EURACOAL Secretary-General, Brian Ricketts, introduced three officials responsible for managing the Research Fund for Coal and Steel and the Coal Regions in Transition Initiative. In setting the scene, he explained that EU coal production was now just 2.5% of the 9.1 billion tonnes global total – half of which was in China. For many countries, the energy transition had only just begun, he surmised, and a long journey lay ahead. In this respect, he welcomed Shri Satish Kumar, Coal Controller at the Coal Controller Organisation in India with responsibility for over one billion tonnes of annual coal production.
Mr. Ricketts reflected that for fifty years, from 1952 to 2002, levies on the coal and steel industries had covered the entire budget of the European institutions – the Research Fund for Coal and Steel being a legacy of that era.
From the European Commission, Mr. Cyril Robin-Champigneul, Deputy Head of Unit for Industrial Transformation at DG Research and Innovation, outlined the recent reform of the Research Fund for Coal and Steel (RFCS) which was adopted by the Council of the EU in June 2026 following solid support in the European Parliament and would see the research programme continue until 2034 when the last contacts would be placed to fully use the assets which were currently just below one billion euros. He said an evolution of the work programme was in preparation, covering the first two years after reform (2027-2028). Importantly, he noted, the 27.2% / 72.8% split between coal and steel project remained, with two calls per year (low and mid TRL / high TRL and dual use). Objective would be as described in Article 4 of the legal basis which, he said, were broad and policy-based, but not overly prescriptive. A higher annual budget of €120 million and higher funding rates in line with Horizon Europe (up to 70% for industry, up to 100% for SMEs and up to 100% for non-profits) made the reformed more attractive, Mr. Robin-Champigneul remarked, noting here that projects must be industry-led. A new mutual insurance mechanism would replace bank guarantees and simplify risk management, he announced. He said that governance of the RFCS research programme would continue with a Coal and Steel Committee (COSCO) of member state representatives and a Coal Advisory Group (CAG) of newly appointed stakeholders, with a call for CAG members and Technical Group members in the coming weeks. Finally, he was encouraged by the interaction between the RFCS community and the CRiT initiative which he hoped could be further developed.
Alejandro Ulzurrun, Acting Director for Directorate B – Just Transition, Consumers, Efficiency and Innovation at DG Energy, thanked all those involved with the dissemination event and helping to drive clean transition in the coal regions. Mr. Ulzurrun was struck by the diversity of research projects presented – a great strength – and was keen to link this research with new opportunities. He gave participants a taster of what to expect during the second day of the conference which would focus on the boundary between research and delivery of commercial projects. He stressed the need to turn innovative ideas into concrete projects – a key aim of the CRiT initiative and one that can be accelerated though the interactions it facilitates. Finally, he was looking forward to the site visits to see at firsthand how transformation in the coal regions was progressing on the ground.
Head of Unit for Future Low Emission Industries at the European Research Executive Agency and responsible since 2021 for implementing the RFCS research programme, Dr. Sebastiano Fumero concluded the first day with news on recent calls. On a visit to the European Parliament, he had seen posters from the early days of the union, when it was known as the European Coal and Steel Community. Some newspaper headlines from 1952 were sceptical about combining such strategic industries, but they succeeded and he was proud of the result. He reminded participants that the RFCS roots lay at the very heart of the European project, and it their joint efforts had kept the flame alive. The last two calls under the old legal framework – a big-ticket call that closed in May and an annual call that closed in September – were, he reported, well subscribed with five high-TRL, coal-related proposals submitted by 34 applicants: two on repurposing former mines, two on material and waste re-use and one on land monitoring. With a budget of €35 million available, two projects had been selected for funding which, he noted was a good success rate. This would absorb €11 million from the fund and involve eleven beneficiaries. For the annual call, he reported that 38 proposals had been received seeking €54 million compared with a budget of €10.9 million. Evaluations would be completed in November, he added. Looking to the future under the reformed RFCS, Dr. Fumero announce the two new calls in 2027:
- High-TRLs Call: opens on 3 February 2027 with a 28 April 2027 deadline
- Annual Call (low- / medium-TRLs): opens in June, closes in September
An info day in Brussels during February 2027 will present the steps needed to prepare good proposals. Before then, on 2 December 2026, a RFCS steel event will be held in Kraków to which Dr. Fumero invited everyone. Like others, he thanked the organisers of the event before handing back to Tobias Häusler who invited guests to hear the Ruhrkohle-Chor, one of Germany’s most famous male voice mining choirs.
Following the conference, participants joined three site visits to witness transformation in progress. One group visited Hoheward Landscape Park in the grounds of the former Ewald colliery in Herten. Once a mining spoil heap, the site is now a popular destination for recreation, culture, and leisure, offering wide views across the Ruhr region. A second group explored the UNESCO world heritage site at Zollverein, a former coal mine and industrial complex, and the BRYCK Innovation Hub in Essen. The site is a prime example of how an industrial legacy can be transformed into a place for culture, education, business, and tourism. The third site visit took in the Garzweiler opencast lignite mine where participants gained insights into active mining operations as well as plans for reclamation and redevelopment, including the creation of lakes in the former mining area.
Photos credit: Donna und der Blitz / THGA
(except panel 1 group photo and pipes photo)