Are humic substances the economic future of lignite strip mining?

Germany’s Rhenish Mining Area slowly changes from an energy- into an innovation region. Since the end of lignite based energy production is set, progressive enterprises like Humintech GmbH increasingly come to the fore of politics – enterprises that possess experiences and success in material, CO2-neutral use of lignite or brown coal. This is where member of state parliament (MdL) Guido van den Berg notices a viable perspective for lignite strip mining: sustainability rather than combustion, ecological efficiency rather than dirty energy. Since more than 40 years, Humintech is demonstrating how this concept can work out. The company utilizes humic substances from domestic lignite to create environmentally sound and efficient products for agriculture, animal breeding, environmental technology and industry uses.

MdL van den Berg is confident of this alternative. Today he has visited Humintech yet again to exchange ideas with the company’s executive board and R&D division about the economic future of strip mining and material use of lignite. With his claim to pull coal out of the fire, van den Berg is charging open doors at Humintech. The company’s expertize provides valuable data and impulses on how structural change in the Rhenish Lignite mining area can be made possible in a way that everyone benefits from it – economically and ecologically.

Pictured (f. l. t. r.): Berthold Stern (R&D Manager / Humintech), Guido van den Berg (SPD, MdL), Müfit Tarhan (CEO / Humintech)