Chanois Coal Mine
| Company type | Coal mine |
|---|---|
| Industry | Coal mining |
| Founded | 1895 |
| Defunct | 1958 |
| Headquarters | Ronchamp , France |
| Products | Coal |
The Chanois coal mine was a key shaft within the Ronchamp coal mines located in the commune of Ronchamp, situated in the Haute-Saône department of the Bourgogne-Franche-Comté region, France. It functioned as the central point for coal extraction activities in Ronchamp from the late 1800s until its shutdown in 1958. The facility included essential support infrastructure such as a coal preparation plant, a coking facility, and a thermal power plant. Established in 1895, Chanois took over operations from the Saint Joseph shaft and halted mining operations in 1951.
By the early 2000s, the site retained several vestiges including structural ruins, a sizable concrete hopper, repurposed buildings, and two prominent spoil tips.
Excavation
Before 1873, coal extraction in Ronchamp was concentrated within the Ronchamp and Champagney coalfields, but the existing shafts were nearing exhaustion and required replacement. To address this, the Magny and Chanois shafts were developed.
Work on the Chanois shaft commenced on August 25, 1873, featuring a useful diameter of 3.20 meters. A nearby ventilation shaft was also sunk with a diameter of 2.20 meters. Due to substantial water ingress estimated at 300 hectoliters per hour, a casing extending 120 meters deep was installed alongside Neut et Dumont pumps to manage flooding.
Coal was first encountered on February 16, 1877, at a depth of 580 meters; however, the seam proved unsuitable for mining. Drilling ceased at 588 meters within transitional strata because of intense water inflows. The shaft remained inactive until it was reopened in 1895.
Exploitation
Mining operations resumed at the start of the 20th century, with daily output increasing from approximately 100 tonnes in 1895 to 12,587 tonnes by 1901. After refurbishment, the winding engine from the Sainte-Pauline shaft—rated at 120 hp—was installed, utilizing specialized aloe wire ropes that continued in service until mining concluded. The recette jour building was constructed more than six meters above ground level, as confirmed by historical records and the substantial stone wall that stood until 2014. Compressed air for both Magny and Chanois shafts was initially produced by two Burckardt compressors along with an older Sommeiller compressor; by 1897, these were replaced with five-cubic-meter compressors powered by a steam engine delivering 150 horsepower.
In 1902, electric lighting and pumping equipment were introduced at the shaft bottom. Between 1904 and 1910, an underground fire occurred but resulted in no fatalities.
A tunnel connecting to the Sainte Marie Coal Mine was excavated in 1928, followed by the construction of the "Cameroun" bowette—a passage approximately 1,500 meters long—linking Chanois to the Notre-Dame shaft in 1929. Although both shafts contained exploitable coal seams, neither had extraction machinery installed. The steam-powered winding engine was replaced with an electric model in 1933.
Following nationalization of France’s coal sector in 1946 under Charles de Gaulle’s Provisional Government, the Ronchamp coalfield was assigned to Électricité de France (EDF), reflecting its geographic isolation from other coal basins and its significant thermal power generation facilities.
The Chanois shaft ceased operations in 1951, preceding the shutdown of the Arthur de Buyer Coal Mine. Both shafts were subsequently filled with shale and sealed with concrete slabs by 1958.
Site Redevelopment
Following the mine's closure, the equipment was dismantled, with the muffler and air compressor being reinstalled at the Etançon shaft. Between 1960 and 1963, the original buildings were torn down to accommodate the Germinal housing estate, which comprises three apartment blocks. Only the remnants of the extraction building and the lamp factory—still featuring its original roof—remained; however, the extraction building was ultimately demolished in 1980.
By the early 2000s, the area still contained the deteriorated lamproom structure, a surviving wall from the well building, and scattered masonry alongside concrete fragments amid rubble. The construction of six pavilions between 2011 and 2013 resulted in the loss of several remaining structures. Furthermore, one of the three buildings within the Germinal housing estate was dismantled after receiving approval in November 2012.
By 2013, only a portion of the recette jour building’s wall and the lamppost building stood intact adjacent to the residential development on former mining grounds.
As of 2014, even this remaining wall had disappeared.
Auxiliary Facilities
The sorting, washing, and screening workshops were established in 1898 as replacements for earlier installations at the Magny shaft. A coking plant built between 1900 and 1920 took over from the furnaces at Saint-Joseph shaft but ceased operations in 1933. Other facilities continued functioning until the mines shut down in 1958. The power station, constructed in 1906–07 and operated by Ronchamp coal mines until nationalization in 1946, was subsequently owned by Électricité de France until its closure in 1958. Having undergone two expansions between 1910 and 1924, it achieved a capacity of 30 MW and produced between 5 and 37 GWh annually up to 1950. Into the early 2000s, some ruins remained—including one hopper—while another hopper was demolished by military forces during the 1960s.
The Mining Company Town
Originally erected in 1919 to accommodate troops returning from World War I, this company town was adapted between 1923 and 1925 to house Polish immigrant workers. It featured modest temporary barracks that remained inhabited even after mining activities ceased. Upon nationalization, ownership transferred from EDF to local authorities who subsequently relocated residents. The town was demolished in early 1976 and replaced by a northern residential development alongside low-income housing (HLM) constructed to the south.
Origin During Mining Operations
The Chanois shaft incorporated a coal preparation plant serving the Magny, Arthur de Buyer Coal Mine, and Etançon outcrops. This activity generated numerous conical and flat slag heaps scattered across the Chanois plain. Prior to exploitation efforts in 2010, mine waste was estimated at roughly one million tonnes. Certain spoil tips have exhibited spontaneous internal combustion for several decades, giving them a distinctive reddish hue.
Post-Mining Exploitation
These coal-rich slag heaps were mined by Escaut-Énergie from March 1985 through December 1986. Since then, most spoil heaps on the Chanois plain have been removed via quarrying operations, particularly those located near the shaft.
On May 17, 2010, regional authorities in Haute-Saône granted permission to GDFC (Granulats de Franche-Comté) to quarry shale from one of the slag heaps under strict conditions designed to safeguard natural habitats and conserve historic elements such as specific slag heaps, buildings, and a concrete hopper. GDFC had been managing operations at the "Le Triage" slag heap since 1994.
Fossil Discoveries
The spoil heaps are rich in fossil remains dating back to the Carboniferous era, presenting a distinctive assemblage that merges flora from arid, upland regions—such as Blackthorn, various Fern species, Cordaites, and primitive flowering plants—with those typical of swampy lowlands, including Lepidodendron, Sigillaria, Calamites, and Sphenophyllum. Additionally, fossils of freshwater fish have been uncovered within these deposits.
Conservation and Natural Habitat
During the early 2000s, the SMPM association conducted a survey of fungal species colonizing the Chanois slag heaps, which have become overgrown with birch and willow. This study identified uncommon fungi such as Pisolithus arhizus, Lactarius fuscus, and Stropharia rugosoannulata, underscoring the ecological importance of safeguarding these slag heaps. Consequently, on June 19, 2007, the municipal council of Ronchamp officially designated the north-western Plaine du Chanois slag heaps along with those near the Etançon mine shaft as protected areas.
The site's bare "crassier" zones are sporadically utilized for motocross activities; however, the town council has prohibited this due to noise disturbances. Offenders face a penalty of €135 and potential seizure of their vehicles.
Traveller Reception Facilities
Between 2013 and 2014, the Rahin et Chérimont Community of Communes established a designated reception site for Travellers located northeast of the remaining slag heaps, adjacent to the former coking facility. This area comprises eight parking spaces each measuring 80 m2, alongside three platforms intended for longer-term stays, collectively providing 9,200 m2 of functional space.
Solar Energy Installation
In 2021, a project to develop a photovoltaic power station spanning 5.9 hectares was initiated by the municipalities of Ronchamp and Magny-Danigon, with backing from Rahin et Chérimont and Pays de Lure Communautés de Communes, in collaboration with TotalEnergies and Altergie. The installation will be divided between two locations: a 2.6-hectare site in Ronchamp situated atop the red slag heap near the Chanois well and former coal-fired power plant—leveraging its substation for energy distribution—and a 3.3-hectare area in Magny-Danigon on a former slag heap previously exploited for aggregates. Construction is scheduled for 2023–2024 with operational commencement planned for 2025. The facility will feature 9,256 solar panels delivering up to 4.99 MWp, capable of supplying electricity to roughly 3,480 inhabitants.
Bibliography
- Jean-Jacques Parietti, Les Houillères de Ronchamp vol. I: La mine, Vesoul, Éditions Comtoises, 2001, 87 pages.
- Jean-Jacques Parietti, Les Houillères de Ronchamp vol. II: Les mineurs, Noidans-lès-Vesoul, fc culture & patrimoine, 2010, 115 pages.
- Jean-Jacques Parietti, Les dossiers de la Houillère 1: Le puits Sainte marie, Association des amis du musée de la mine, 1999.
- Jean-Jacques Parietti, Les dossiers de la Houillère 5: Le puits du Magny, Association des amis du musée de la mine, 1999.
- Jean-Jacques Parietti, Les dossiers de la Houillère 6: Le puits de l'Étançon, Association des amis du musée de la mine, 2017.
- Jean-Jacques Parietti and Christiane Petitot, Géomètre aux houillères de Ronchamp, Association des amis du musée de la mine, 2005.
- Conseil général du Territoire de Belfort, Vivre le Territoire : Le magazine de conseil général du Territoire de Belfort, Belfort, October 2013, issue no. 142, 31 pages.
- Édouard Thirria, Manuel à l'usage de l'habitant du département de la Haute-Saône, 1869, pages 182–186.