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NATURE AS ROLE MODEL

Innovative concepts for tailing pile recultivation

Potash salts have been mined deep underground in Germany for more than 100 years. The salts are used in industry and in agriculture. The residues resulting from mining activities are stockpiled. In Germany, potash tailing piles can be found, for example, in the Hanover area, in the Harz region and in the Werra valley. Their recultivation is the central objective of the REKS joint venture, a partnership between REMEX and K+S. Together, we are bringing together our extensive expertise and resources to cover and restore these sites. Our joint solutions not only contribute to environmental protection, but also create ecologically valuable areas that can subsequently be used again.

REKS supplies sustainable construction materials for the environmentally friendly recultivation of tailing piles, turning them back into part of nature. Company website

Construction materials for recultivation

Depending on the method of covering, different minerals can be used to cover the tailings piles. The materials are applied in defined layers, which can fulfil different functions depending on the process (e.g. as sealing layers or substrates for plant growth), thus contributing to an efficient reduction of the saline pile water. The resource-conserving use of materials promotes the sustainability of the project. The most important mineral materials suitable and sufficiently available for covering the tailing piles are listed below.

Soil

Construction and demolition waste

Ash/Slag

Depending on demand and availability, these materials are used in the respective processes to ensure sustainable and stable tailing pile coverage.

Find out about the different covering methods offered by our associate company REKS. more

Legal framework

The recultivation of tailing piles is subject to strict legal requirements. Regulations on soil composition, water management and landscape design, among other things, must be observed. Official approval processes and regular inspections ensure that all measures are implemented in an environmentally friendly and sustainable manner.

Realisation of a natural habitat

The planning and implementation of tailing pile recultivation spans many years and involves a wide range of measures that vary depending on the specific site conditions. The key aspects for successful covering and renaturation include:

Site-related design

Modelling of the surface of the tailing pile to reduce erosion and water seepage.

Suitable construction materials

Choice of materials depending on the covering method for sealing and minimising seepage water formation.

Sustainable vegetation

Selection of plants suitable for the location to stabilise the surface and promote biodiversity.

Monitoring and aftercare

Measures to ensure that the recultivation objectives are permanently achieved.

Successful recultivation example

Recultivating tailing piles transforms unused land into valuable space that benefits both nature and society. An exemplary project shows how a space can be sustainably transformed through the use of targeted measures. The systematic use of covering materials and adapted greenery has significantly reduced the formation of water in the Sigmundshall tailing pile and transformed the pile into a natural landscape. This measure enables the resettlement of flora and fauna and contributes to an improvement in the microclimate.

You can find details of this project and other references on the REKS website. more

Modern concepts for the recultivation of tailing piles use secondary materials for innovative landscape design. The collaboration between engineers, ecologists and geologists creates solutions that combine ecological and economic requirements.