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Bucket-Wheel Excavators: The Most Destructive Machines on the Planet?

March 4, 2009 By 48 Comments
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The bucket-wheel excavator has long scoured the lignite fields of western Germany, erasing whole villages and leaving a trail of bad soil and salty water.

the bagger bucket wheel excavator

With all sorts of claims being made about clean energy and clean tech, it is more than a mere academic exercise to explore what those terms really mean. One way of defining something is by defining what it is not. For example, the large bucket-wheel excavators like those used in the open-cast lignite mines of western Germany are not clean tech. And here’s why…

At 300 feet tall and 600 feet long, the largest bucket wheel excavators are the biggest land vehicles ever made. Though they only dig at a maximum of 0.37 mph, these machines move 240,000 cubic meters of material daily, about as much as a football field dug to 100 feet deep.

2bagger.jpg

Because they continuously dig, transport, and dump material twenty-four hours a day these machines require 16 megawatts of externally supplied electricity; and there are twenty-two currently in use in the four open-cast lignite mines in the state of North Rhine-Westphalia. 

garzweiller II lignite mine in Germany

Bucket wheel excavators have been working these lignite fields since 1933, playing an instrumental role in fueling the Hitler machine with coal-based synfuel. Over the years, the mining activities have scarred the land and created massive canyons, reaching up to 500 metres deep and over 10 Km wide (see a 360 degree panorama of the lignite coal mine in Garzweiler). Continued…

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About Timothy B. Hurst

Tim is the founder of ecopolitology and the executive editor at LiveOAK Media where he writes regularly about the politics of energy and the environment, green business and clean tech.

When not reading, writing, thinking or talking about environmental politics with anyone who will listen, Tim spends his time skiing in Colorado's high country, hiking with his dog, and getting dirty in his vegetable garden.

  • http://virgintech.org Shahab Khan

    Well it seems that a seperate dedicated power plant is needed for this giant. BTW i must say this is a amazing structure.

  • http://virgintech.org Shahab Khan

    Well it seems that a seperate dedicated power plant is needed for this giant. BTW i must say this is a amazing structure.

  • http://redgreenandblue.org Timothy B. Hurst

    Thanks for your insight, Andi.

  • http://redgreenandblue.org Timothy B. Hurst

    Thanks for your insight, Andi.

  • http://www.andisblog.de Andi

    I’m living in just that region of western Germany, where we are surrounded of open-pit mining sites (is that the right term?).

    For us, the view of big holes, inhabited by those big excavators, and with the steam of cooling towers of the cole power stations around is just like normal. Kind of sad…

    The latest and most controversial project in cole mining business is at the site of Hambach. It’s the biggest open-pit mining site of Germany. You can even see it by satellite (without needing to zoom too much). The »crazy« thing: They are currently planning, what they do with the hole after it’s been completely mined. Most probably (I think it’s already finally said, but I’m not that sure) they will fill the whole thing with water. It will be the second biggest German lake (right after the Bodensee) with 3.6 Mrd m^3 water. The filling of the hole will take several decades.

    The (German) article in the wikipedia translated into English is here.

  • http://www.andisblog.de Andi

    I’m living in just that region of western Germany, where we are surrounded of open-pit mining sites (is that the right term?).

    For us, the view of big holes, inhabited by those big excavators, and with the steam of cooling towers of the cole power stations around is just like normal. Kind of sad…

    The latest and most controversial project in cole mining business is at the site of Hambach. It’s the biggest open-pit mining site of Germany. You can even see it by satellite (without needing to zoom too much). The »crazy« thing: They are currently planning, what they do with the hole after it’s been completely mined. Most probably (I think it’s already finally said, but I’m not that sure) they will fill the whole thing with water. It will be the second biggest German lake (right after the Bodensee) with 3.6 Mrd m^3 water. The filling of the hole will take several decades.

    The (German) article in the wikipedia translated into English is here.

  • http://www.andisblog.de Andi

    I’m living in just that region of western Germany, where we are surrounded of open-pit mining sites (is that the right term?).

    For us, the view of big holes, inhabited by those big excavators, and with the steam of cooling towers of the cole power stations around is just like normal. Kind of sad…

    The latest and most controversial project in cole mining business is at the site of Hambach. It’s the biggest open-pit mining site of Germany. You can even see it by satellite (without needing to zoom too much). The »crazy« thing: They are currently planning, what they do with the hole after it’s been completely mined. Most probably (I think it’s already finally said, but I’m not that sure) they will fill the whole thing with water. It will be the second biggest German lake (right after the Bodensee) with 3.6 Mrd m^3 water. The filling of the hole will take several decades.

    The (German) article in the wikipedia translated into English is here.

  • http://greenoptions.com/author/timhurst Tim Hurst

    chrisp – thanks, I’ll be watching that later!

    Yeah, that second pic is totally from when they moved from one town to another. I also know that the biggest BWE is actually in use in Australia, but wasn’t able to find any pics (yet).

  • http://greenoptions.com/author/timhurst Tim Hurst

    chrisp – thanks, I’ll be watching that later!

    Yeah, that second pic is totally from when they moved from one town to another. I also know that the biggest BWE is actually in use in Australia, but wasn’t able to find any pics (yet).

  • http://greenoptions.com/author/timhurst Tim Hurst

    chrisp – thanks, I’ll be watching that later!

    Yeah, that second pic is totally from when they moved from one town to another. I also know that the biggest BWE is actually in use in Australia, but wasn’t able to find any pics (yet).

  • chrisp

    @ Machine Fan: Such a small world view you have. So they can fill in a big hole with dirt and plant trees on top. That makes everyone feel good, but what about the product of all the energy waste? Unfortunately the nature you are going to rebuild will be subject to huge increases of CO2 levels and other untold catastrophes.

    Nuclear is no better… just shifting the problems somewhere else.

  • chrisp

    @ Machine Fan: Such a small world view you have. So they can fill in a big hole with dirt and plant trees on top. That makes everyone feel good, but what about the product of all the energy waste? Unfortunately the nature you are going to rebuild will be subject to huge increases of CO2 levels and other untold catastrophes.

    Nuclear is no better… just shifting the problems somewhere else.

  • chrisp

    @ Machine Fan: Such a small world view you have. So they can fill in a big hole with dirt and plant trees on top. That makes everyone feel good, but what about the product of all the energy waste? Unfortunately the nature you are going to rebuild will be subject to huge increases of CO2 levels and other untold catastrophes.

    Nuclear is no better… just shifting the problems somewhere else.

  • http://www.MinuteMachine.com Machine-Fan

    Hello there,

    first of all I agree with Jo;) Of course a bucket wheel excavator is destructive, and of course coal mining is not the cleanest way of getting energy.. But sorry to say Edouard: Nuclear waste is a little more destructive than this excavator!!! I have been in the Rhineland and inspected a bulldozer which was regenerating the destroyed ground to build a bio-parc.. Nature will be rebuilt within few years and even nicer than before.

  • http://www.MinuteMachine.com Machine-Fan

    Hello there,

    first of all I agree with Jo;) Of course a bucket wheel excavator is destructive, and of course coal mining is not the cleanest way of getting energy.. But sorry to say Edouard: Nuclear waste is a little more destructive than this excavator!!! I have been in the Rhineland and inspected a bulldozer which was regenerating the destroyed ground to build a bio-parc.. Nature will be rebuilt within few years and even nicer than before.

  • http://www.MinuteMachine.com Machine-Fan

    Hello there,

    first of all I agree with Jo;) Of course a bucket wheel excavator is destructive, and of course coal mining is not the cleanest way of getting energy.. But sorry to say Edouard: Nuclear waste is a little more destructive than this excavator!!! I have been in the Rhineland and inspected a bulldozer which was regenerating the destroyed ground to build a bio-parc.. Nature will be rebuilt within few years and even nicer than before.

  • http://www.MinuteMachine.com Machine-Fan

    Hello there,

    first of all I agree with Jo;) Of course a bucket wheel excavator is destructive, and of course coal mining is not the cleanest way of getting energy.. But sorry to say Edouard: Nuclear waste is a little more destructive than this excavator!!! I have been in the Rhineland and inspected a bulldozer which was regenerating the destroyed ground to build a bio-parc.. Nature will be rebuilt within few years and even nicer than before.

  • chrisp

    Here you go… a sample video.

    I imagine you can purchase the whole show on Discovery.com

    Just hope the Chinese aren’t using these yet to fuel the coal plants being built every two weeks.

    Now that’s destruction!

    http://videos.howstuffworks.com/discovery/35749-mega-excavators-bucket-wheel-excavators-video.htm

  • chrisp

    Here you go… a sample video.

    I imagine you can purchase the whole show on Discovery.com

    Just hope the Chinese aren’t using these yet to fuel the coal plants being built every two weeks.

    Now that’s destruction!

    http://videos.howstuffworks.com/discovery/35749-mega-excavators-bucket-wheel-excavators-video.htm

  • chrisp

    Here you go… a sample video.

    I imagine you can purchase the whole show on Discovery.com

    Just hope the Chinese aren’t using these yet to fuel the coal plants being built every two weeks.

    Now that’s destruction!

    http://videos.howstuffworks.com/discovery/35749-mega-excavators-bucket-wheel-excavators-video.htm

  • chrisp

    @ Timothy – This machine was on TV at one time. The show featured the machine moving from town to town eventually making it to the mine. The picture you posted of it rolling over the road was depicted in the episode. Quite a logistics feat…

    But if this thing isn’t a dinosaur I don’t know what is.

    So now we have come full circle, dinosaurs digging up dinosaurs…

    We must do better than this or we are all doomed, and soon!

  • chrisp

    @ Timothy – This machine was on TV at one time. The show featured the machine moving from town to town eventually making it to the mine. The picture you posted of it rolling over the road was depicted in the episode. Quite a logistics feat…

    But if this thing isn’t a dinosaur I don’t know what is.

    So now we have come full circle, dinosaurs digging up dinosaurs…

    We must do better than this or we are all doomed, and soon!

  • http://redgreenandblue.org Timothy B. Hurst

    Jo- I know, right? If this thing were featured on one of those TLC or Discovery programs I would definitely watch it.

  • http://redgreenandblue.org Timothy B. Hurst

    Jo- I know, right? If this thing were featured on one of those TLC or Discovery programs I would definitely watch it.

  • http://redgreenandblue.org Timothy B. Hurst

    Jo- I know, right? If this thing were featured on one of those TLC or Discovery programs I would definitely watch it.

  • http://gas2.org Jo

    I am torn on this one – the machine is incredibly destructive … but on the other hand, it is INCREDIBLY DESTRUCTIVE.

    Cool. Evil and wrong, of course, but cool.

  • http://gas2.org Jo

    I am torn on this one – the machine is incredibly destructive … but on the other hand, it is INCREDIBLY DESTRUCTIVE.

    Cool. Evil and wrong, of course, but cool.

  • http://www.elrst.com Edouard Stenger, France

    I always liked Germany and what they do for renewables and energy efficiency. But getting half of their electricity with coal and those ugly huge machines… no, no and no !

    France chose nuclear. It has problems, but to choose between that and coal I would choose nuclear because of its low emissions.

    No energy solution is perfect… however your blog is ! Keep it up ! :)

  • http://www.elrst.com Edouard Stenger, France

    I always liked Germany and what they do for renewables and energy efficiency. But getting half of their electricity with coal and those ugly huge machines… no, no and no !

    France chose nuclear. It has problems, but to choose between that and coal I would choose nuclear because of its low emissions.

    No energy solution is perfect… however your blog is ! Keep it up ! :)

  • Don Pedro

    quixote,

    There is nothing wrong with the term. Externalities are external to the transaction taking place, in this case the purchase of coal for a price that covers the cost of extraction plus a margin for the producer. (This means that the transaction may happen even if it is value destructive for society as a whole.)

    The solution for externalities in economic theory is to “internalize” them, which means making the corporate execs in their crusty offices pay for the damage they do. I hope we can agree that this is a good thing, and that we can let the economists off the hook?

  • Don Pedro

    quixote,

    There is nothing wrong with the term. Externalities are external to the transaction taking place, in this case the purchase of coal for a price that covers the cost of extraction plus a margin for the producer. (This means that the transaction may happen even if it is value destructive for society as a whole.)

    The solution for externalities in economic theory is to “internalize” them, which means making the corporate execs in their crusty offices pay for the damage they do. I hope we can agree that this is a good thing, and that we can let the economists off the hook?

  • Pingback: Daily Sprout « Earth2Tech

  • http://redgreenandblue.org Timothy B. Hurst

    quixote- Yes, Eep indeed. Thanks.

  • http://redgreenandblue.org Timothy B. Hurst

    quixote- Yes, Eep indeed. Thanks.

  • http://molvray.com/acid-test quixote

    That term, externalities, makes me see red. It’s not external to anyone except the economists and corporate execs in their cushy offices. The rest of us live out in that real world which is “external” to them.

    If the future wasn’t subsidizing most of the price of coal (and oil, and nuclear) we’d have switched to clean and sustainable energy decades ago.

    Great post.

    (And while I have my language police hat on . . . razed. NOT raised. Eep.)

  • http://molvray.com/acid-test quixote

    That term, externalities, makes me see red. It’s not external to anyone except the economists and corporate execs in their cushy offices. The rest of us live out in that real world which is “external” to them.

    If the future wasn’t subsidizing most of the price of coal (and oil, and nuclear) we’d have switched to clean and sustainable energy decades ago.

    Great post.

    (And while I have my language police hat on . . . razed. NOT raised. Eep.)

  • http://molvray.com/acid-test quixote

    That term, externalities, makes me see red. It’s not external to anyone except the economists and corporate execs in their cushy offices. The rest of us live out in that real world which is “external” to them.

    If the future wasn’t subsidizing most of the price of coal (and oil, and nuclear) we’d have switched to clean and sustainable energy decades ago.

    Great post.

    (And while I have my language police hat on . . . razed. NOT raised. Eep.)

  • http://redgreenandblue.org Timothy B. Hurst

    Khurt-

    There is no silver bullet, only silver buckshot. Although brown coal may be “cheap” now, when you factor in the “externalities” of its production, it no longer seems like such a good deal.

  • http://redgreenandblue.org Timothy B. Hurst

    Khurt-

    There is no silver bullet, only silver buckshot. Although brown coal may be “cheap” now, when you factor in the “externalities” of its production, it no longer seems like such a good deal.

  • http://islandinthenet.com Khürt

    Tim,

    What’s your solution and who will pay for it?

  • http://islandinthenet.com Khürt

    Tim,

    What’s your solution and who will pay for it?

  • http://islandinthenet.com Khürt

    Tim,

    What’s your solution and who will pay for it?

  • Ben

    Consider who you’re writing for. Common people.

  • Ben

    Consider who you’re writing for. Common people.

  • Josh

    Those giant machines are awesome! I have one on my Christmas list for this year. I love big machines.

  • Josh

    Those giant machines are awesome! I have one on my Christmas list for this year. I love big machines.

  • Josh

    Those giant machines are awesome! I have one on my Christmas list for this year. I love big machines.

  • Josh

    Those giant machines are awesome! I have one on my Christmas list for this year. I love big machines.

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