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Spreader

Spreader, Tagebau Garzweiler, Garzweiler open pit mine, Germany

 

The Tagebau Garzweiler is an open pit lignite mine with a size of 110km² (27200 acres). The lignite is burned in power plants which generate about a quarter of the electricity used in germany.

 

Bucket-wheel excavators are used for continuous overburden removal in surface mining. The overburden is then delivered to the discharge boom, which transfers the cut earth to another machine for transfer to the central collection area where the material will be sorted. Then the remains of the overburden will be transported on a belt system to the spreader which then scatters the overburden at the dumping ground.

 

The spreader can dump 240000m³ of overburden per day (8.4mio cubic feet). It is 180m long, 57m high and weighs 5400 tons. It is controlled by a 3 men crew and can drive 0.528 km/h.

 

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Garzweiler_open_pit_mine

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lignite

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spreader_(mining)

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Uploaded on January 5, 2013
Taken on December 26, 2012