ZLDR Air Factory

No mine can operate without sufficient "ventilation", i.e. the supply of fresh air and the removal of used air and harmful gases. But how did the miners get enough oxygen underground and how was compressed air generated to drive machinery? The former winding machine building and the compressed air plant at Zolder Colliery have been converted into an "air factory" and are dedicated to this topic. Answers are provided by the original machinery with its huge compressors, which are explained with descriptions, listening stations as well as photos and films.

The Zolder mine was the last of the seven mines in the Kempen coal basin to close in 1992. Since 1930, it had mainly produced bituminous coal for steel production in Liège and the Borinage region. In 1964, the owners merged the Houthalen and Zolder collieries, resulting in a peak workforce of 9379 miners. The peak year for coal production was 1967 with 2.3 million tonnes; in total both mines produced 87.9 million tonnes of coal.