Zenica Brown Coal Mine officially enters closure process after 144 years

Founded back in 1879, RMU Zenica was the first brown coal mine in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Its opening strongly influenced the development of Zenica as a regional industrial center, followed by the construction of the railway and the development of the steelworks, which brought thousands of jobs to the city.

Historical significance and tourism potential

The initiator of the idea to preserve the mining heritage, Afan Abazovic, believes that the administration building, the recognizable mining tower, and other supporting facilities could have enormous tourism potential, as well as historical value.

This idea was also supported by the Mayor of Zenica, Fuad Kasumovic. He announced the City's readiness to purchase part of the facilities and turn them into a permanent symbol of Zenica, so that future generations have a testament to how mining shaped their city, BHRT reported.

Unprofitability and promises to miners

The closure of the Zenica mine was announced two years ago, with economic unprofitability cited as the main reason. Federation entity’s Minister of Energy, Mining, and Industry Vedran Lakic explained at the time that RMU Zenica should have gone into bankruptcy or been closed much earlier due to numerous technological and financial reasons.