RWE Power AG has awarded the contract for the construction of the planned water transport pipeline for the Hambach opencast mine’s recultivation to a joint venture. Within this joint venture, which brings together MAX STREICHER GmbH & Co. KG aA, LEONHARD WEISS GmbH & Co. KG and Epping Rohrvortrieb GmbH + Co. KG, the STREICHER Group is responsible for the pipework.

Scope of Work: Pipeline Construction

The construction lot comprises the laying of two pipeline routes, each approximately 6,650 metres in length. The pipes in use have a diameter of 2,250 millimetres and a wall thickness of 22.5 millimetres. Around 1,200 welding seams are required to connect the individual pipe segments.

For assembly, the bends are cut into installation-ready segments at a specially built on-site production facility using a pipe-cutting machine acquired specifically for the project. Each pipe or bend is twelve metres long and weighs around 15 tonnes.

Specialised Machinery Used

A wide range of equipment, including units specifically adapted for the project, is being used to carry out the work. These include special welding booths and work platforms for large pipe diameters, as well as other specialised systems for transporting, positioning and processing large-diameter pipes.

Construction work for the pipe laying began in March 2026. Until the end of spring, the STREICHER Group will focus on technical preparations and on further development of the machinery and equipment used for the project. 

Importance of the Water Transport Pipeline for Recultivation

The water transport pipeline is part of a large-scale recultivation project at the Hambach opencast mine. In future, the pipeline will be used to convey water from the Rhine into the emerging lake district.

The planned lake will cover an area of over 35 km² and have a volume of more than 4,300 million m³. The project aims, among other things, to stabilise the groundwater level, create new habitats and deliver long-term ecological and structural enhancements to the region.