Sustainable use of mines: The Ernst August mine in the Upper Harz region is being studied

How can mining heritage be used sustainably? The joint project ‘Ernst-August Mine Water Monitoring’ (EAGruMo), in which the Leichtweiß Institute for Hydraulic Engineering and Water Resources at Technische Universität Braunschweig is involved with the Department of Hydrology and River Basin Management, has now started with a kick-off workshop.

The team of the joint project EAGruMo meets for a kick-off workshop at TU Clausthal. Picture credits: TU Clausthal

The project, led by Clausthal University of Technology, aims to develop innovative solutions for the monitoring and sustainable use of mining infrastructure to support regional water and energy supplies. The methods developed in the project could be used not only in other former mining regions, but also in areas of urban water management.

A central component of the project is the investigation of the Ernst August mine in the Upper Harz, which is around 40 kilometres long. In addition to its historical value, it still plays an important role in the drainage of the Upper Harz mining region. The project will develop new methods to better explore such structures. In addition, a potential study will investigate whether the tunnel can provide additional benefits to the region beyond its cultural value.

Professor Kai Schröter from the Leichtweiß Institute for Hydraulic Engineering and Water Resources is leading the sub-project at TU Braunschweig. The project team is focusing on integrated hydrological and hydrogeological modelling for reservoir simulation, evaluation and system analysis of the tunnel. In addition to TU Clausthal and TU Braunschweig, Ostfalia University of Applied Sciences is also involved in the research project.

Further information can be found in the TU Clausthal press release.