State mine Wilhelmina is inaugurated in 1906. It is the first state mine. That is why he is popularly called 'd'r Stjaat'. Until the closure of the mine in 1969, a total of approximately 59,235,000 tons of coal was brought to the surface here.
In addition, 36,000,000 tons of mine rock is also mined. It is transported day and night via long conveyor belts to the slag heap from which the current Wilhelminaberg originated. From 1924 the mine has two shafts.
The deepest point is 823 meters below ground level. Over the years, the mining site grows into a huge business complex where thousands of people find work. Ultimately, the entire mine site covers an area of approximately 89 hectares. As early as 1955, ten years before Minister Joop den Uyl announced the mine closures, it was known that the Sjtaat was slowly becoming exhausted.
The management expects to be able to continue coal production for another 10 to 12 years. It is hoped that State Mine Beatrix will be in operation by then, but the mine will never be completed. In 1969, the Wilhelmina State Mine closes its doors for good. In the following years, the business complex will be demolished and the mine site remediated.
This text has been automatically translated using an online translation service.
