Pyrotechnicians blow up giant coal-mining machine near Chomutov, Czechia; it will be scrapped

Demolition experts blew up a giant coal-mining machine in Březno near Chomutov this morning. They needed 15 kilograms of explosives to bring down the huge mining machine. Craftsmen will now cut up the KU 800 bucket-wheel excavator, nicknamed the Březno Dragon, and take it for scrap. Severočeské doly, the machine’s operator, will offer visitors the chance to see an identical excavator that is still in operation at the Nástup Tušimice Mines. The company’s spokesperson, Lukáš Kopecký, told CTK.

People in the surrounding area could hear the blast. The explosives cut through cables and beams, and the machine, about as tall as Chomutov’s town tower, essentially settled onto the ground. The 170-metre-long colossus operated for more than 30 years. It then served as an attraction for another 13 years. Visitors could see it until last year. This spring, Severočeské doly decided to retire the Březno Dragon, which weighed 4,500 tonnes—the equivalent of 17 fully loaded aircraft before take-off.

Around 25,000 people visited the Březno Dragon, according to Kopecký. “Time has taken its toll on this retired excavator, and it was no longer possible to guarantee its safety. However, visits to see the Březno Dragon are not coming to an end. We will give interested visitors the chance to see its twin: an identical KU 800 excavator in operation at the mine, either from a viewing point by arrangement with our guide or as part of the Březno fair,” the spokesperson said.

Severočeské doly, part of the ČEZ Group, mines coal at two sites: the Nástup Tušimice Mines between Chomutov and Kadaň, and the Bílina Mines west of Bílina, on the border between the districts of Most and Teplice. Mining at Tušimice is expected to end in 2029. The preliminary plan is to flood the mine afterwards and connect it to the Nechranice Reservoir. Mining at Bílina will end in 2033.