Charbonnage du Renard is a former coal company in the Belgian region of Liège. Initially modest, the company became one of the most powerful and largest coal companies in the region through successive acquisitions during the nineteenth and twentieth centuries.
The first known coal mining operation in the area dates back to the end of the 16th century. However, the mine did not truly develop until around 1825. Through systematic expansions, the concession then reached a total surface area of 208 hectares. The annual production record was reached by the late 1930s, with 620,000 tonnes of coal mined annually by a workforce of approximately 2,100 men.
Annual production dropped to 244,000 tonnes during World War II. The final expansions took place in 1939, bringing the company's concession to approximately 900 hectares. The coal company's main operational centre was closed in 1967. Two years later, coal mining at this site was also discontinued.
The only remaining building is the 'shower building', where the miners could change and shower after work. This building also contains a limited administrative section, the infirmary, and the payroll hall.
After the closure of the mine, the building was taken over by a garage owner. Dozens of car wrecks, mainly Ford, still stand in the payroll hall and the building's cellars. In the summer of 2011, some commotion arose when it was announced that a property developer wanted to subdivide the site to build 100 homes.
Since the soil is heavily contaminated with heavy metals (lead and mercury), the project stalled due to the completely inadequate measures proposed to remediate the soil…
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