MineGuessr – Oltenia Energy Complex, Romania: Lignite Open Pits and Coal Power

MineGuessr Advent Calendar 2025 – Door 12

The Oltenia Energy Complex is one of the most striking entries in our 2025 MineGuessr mining advent calendar. From orbit, the cluster of open-pit lignite mines, internal dumps and cooling-tower plumes in Gorj County tells a very different story from copper or gold: this is about coal, power grids and the energy transition.

On this page, we provide a concise, professional overview of the Oltenia Energy Complex – its location, mining basin, operational history and role in the raw materials value chain. The mining satellite timelapse shows how several pits have expanded, merged, stabilised and, in some cases, entered closure and rehabilitation – a visual case study in what a coal phase-out looks like on the ground.

Oltenia Energy Complex lignite open pits and coal power plants in the Jiu Valley, Romania

Overview & location

The Oltenia Energy Complex (Complexul Energetic Oltenia, CEO) is Romania’s largest producer of coal-based power and the country’s dominant lignite producer. It operates a network of open-pit lignite mines and mine-mouth power plants across the Oltenia lignite basin, mainly in Gorj County in south-western Romania, with additional assets in Vâlcea and Mehedinți counties.

The representative coordinates we use for the MineGuessr timelapse (44°52’13”N, 23°05’23”E) place you in the heart of the Rovinari–Jilț mining area. Within a few kilometres you can see several major pits that feed the Rovinari and Turceni power plants, including:

Jilț Nord – an open-pit lignite mine with a licensed capacity of about 4.5 Mt/year, supplying lignite to the Turceni power station.
Jilț Sud – another large open pit in the same mining unit, visible as a broad excavation and internal dump system in the satellite imagery.
The wider Rovinari coal field, which also includes the Tismana I & II, Roșia and Pinoasa pits feeding the Rovinari power plant.

Company-wide, the Oltenia Energy Complex has historically operated around ten open-pit mines (Roșia, Peșteana, Tismana, Pinoasa, Rovinari, Jilț Nord, Jilț Sud, Roșiuța, Lupoaia, Husnicioara), with an average production of roughly 18.5 Mt/year of lignite between 2017 and 2021, and about 18.2 Mt in 2022.

From a power-generation perspective, CEO’s mine-mouth plants (Turceni, Rovinari, Ișalnița and Craiova II) have a combined coal-based installed capacity of about 2.3 GW and account for roughly 99% of Romania’s lignite production, employing over 10,000 people.

Geology & deposit type

The Oltenia mines exploit Neogene lignite (brown coal) hosted in the Oltenia lignite basin, part of the broader Getic Depression. Lignite occurs in several thick, gently dipping seams, with complex splitting and local variations in thickness and quality.

Key features of the coalfield from a MineGuessr perspective:

Multi-seam architecture – multiple lignite seams are mined in benches, creating broad stepped slopes and large internal dumps.
Shallow to moderate depth – lignite is typically mined at depths of tens of metres rather than hundreds, favouring very large-areal open pits.
Soft overburden and coal – conducive to bucket-wheel excavators, belt conveyors and high stripping rates.

In satellite imagery, this combination translates into large, light-coloured benches, radial conveyor systems and extensive spoil dumps dominating the landscape around Rovinari, Jilț and Motru.

What the mining satellite timelapse shows

The mining satellite timelapse for the Oltenia Energy Complex (1984–2022) compresses decades of coal mining and power generation into a few seconds. It does not track a single pit but the evolution of a mining basin anchored by several open pits and two major lignite-fired power stations (Rovinari and Turceni).

1980s–1990s – expansion of the original pits

By the mid-1980s, Rovinari and Turceni power plants were already online, and several associated pits were active.
Across the late 1980s and 1990s, Rovinari Coal Mine – comprising pits like Tismana I & II, Roșia and Pinoasa – expanded to become one of Romania’s largest open-pit lignite operations, producing around 8 Mt/year by 2008 and holding reserves of about 610 Mt of lignite.

What you see from space:

Initial forest and agricultural land around Rovinari and Jilț being stripped and replaced by concentric pit benches.
The first large external dumps building up on the margins of each pit.
Cooling towers and ash ponds around the power plants becoming clearer year by year.

2000s – multi-pit maturity and internal dumps

The period after 2000 sees both continued pit extensions and the opening or deepening of new pits in the Jilț and Motru areas.
Mining systems shift progressively from external to internal dumping in the pit voids, re-using space previously mined.

In the timelapse:

Several pits appear to grow towards each other, with the gap between them gradually filled by dumps.
You can trace long conveyor corridors linking pits to power-plant stockyards.
The overall mining footprint in Gorj County becomes a connected mosaic of pits, dumps and industrial platforms.

2010s – stabilisation, selective closure and first rehabilitation projects

By the 2010s, the Oltenia Energy Complex operates around ten open pits, producing in aggregate well over 15 Mt/year of lignite.
At the same time, environmental and economic pressures (EU ETS costs, competition from gas and renewables) begin to bite, leading to closure or downsizing of some pits.
Research in the Rovinari basin documents ecological rehabilitation projects on internal dumps such as North Peșteana, testing re-vegetation and land-use options for post-mining landscapes.

In the imagery:

The rate of outward expansion slows; pit outlines stabilise even as internal dumps continue to re-shape the void.
Small patches of replanted or spontaneous vegetation appear on older dumps and around decommissioned areas.
Some peripheral pits and dumps transition from bare soil to a mottled green and brown pattern typical of early rehabilitation.

2020s – restructuring, coal phase-out and new energy projects

In January 2022, the European Commission approved a restructuring aid package of up to EUR 2.66 billion for CE Oltenia, linked to a plan to gradually replace lignite-based generation with gas-fired plants and renewables and to close several pits (Husnicioara, Peșteana, Lupoaia, and later Tismana and Jilț Sud).
The mining plan envisages coal production stabilising around 10 Mt/year after 2026, with operations concentrated in three mining basins: Rovinari, Jilț and Motru.
The restructuring includes new photovoltaic parks at Turceni, Rovinari and Ișalnița, some of them on or adjacent to former mining land.

Although the Google Earth Engine timelapse currently ends around 2022, you can already see slower outward growth of pits, increasingly structured dump surfaces and early hints of land re-use that foreshadow a more diversified energy landscape.

Mining method & processing – how the lignite moves

The Oltenia lignite operations are classic bucket-wheel excavator (BWE) – conveyor – spreader systems:

Mining: BWEs cut both overburden and lignite in benches, advancing across the deposit; dozers and auxiliary equipment support bench clean-up and short-haul tasks.
Haulage: Continuous conveyor belts carry lignite either directly to power-plant stockyards or to intermediate blending piles; overburden is sent to internal or external dumps via separate conveyor lines.
Power plants: Rovinari, Turceni, Ișalnița and Craiova II are mine-mouth power stations designed around this lignite supply, with units of 315–330 MW each (although several have been decommissioned or mothballed).

In the timelapse, the conveyor corridors and dumps are as visually important as the pits themselves – they show how much material has been moved to keep the power stations running.

Role in the raw materials value chain and energy transition

The Oltenia Energy Complex sits at the intersection of security of supply, regional employment and EU decarbonisation policy:

It is responsible for the vast majority of Romania’s lignite supply and a significant share of domestic electricity, especially during peak demand.
Its mines and plants provide over 10,000 direct jobs in Gorj, Dolj and neighbouring counties, with strong local economic linkages.
At the same time, the complex is among the country’s largest CO₂ emitters, and its restructuring is a cornerstone of Romania’s coal phase-out and Just Transition plans.

Satellite imagery adds another dimension to those policy debates. For example, investigations by NGOs have highlighted the conversion of forest land to mining areas, especially around the Roșia quarry, with more than 470 ha of national forest land reportedly transferred for mine expansion over six years.

For MineGuessr, the Oltenia door is less about celebrating coal and more about understanding:

How large-scale lignite mining reshapes landscapes over decades.
What a managed coal exit looks like in a coal-dependent region.
How post-mining land can be repurposed – for agriculture, forestry, renewables, or other uses.

What to look for in the MineGuessr timelapse

When you watch the Oltenia Energy Complex timelapse, see if you can spot:

The progressive northward and eastward advance of pits like Roșia and Peșteana, and the development of internal dumps that partially refill earlier excavations.
The contrast between freshly stripped benches (light, bare surfaces) and older dumps that begin to green over through rehabilitation or spontaneous vegetation.
The strong spatial link between pits, dumps and power-plant platforms, underlining how tightly coupled mining and power generation are in a lignite basin.
The gradual shift from rapid outward growth to a more stable footprint in the late 2010s and early 2020s as Romania’s coal phase-out policies begin to take effect.

MineGuessr perspective – why this complex was included

We selected the Oltenia Energy Complex for the MineGuessr mining advent calendar because it:

Provides a visually distinctive example of multi-pit lignite mining and mine-mouth power generation in Europe.
Shows a clear life-of-basin evolution in the satellite timelapse – from aggressive expansion through consolidation and early rehabilitation to a managed decline under a restructuring plan.
Is central to Romania’s energy transition debate, illustrating the technical, social and environmental complexities of phasing out coal in a region where livelihoods and security of supply are intertwined.

In our GeoGuessr-style mine guessing game, the Oltenia door opens up conversations about lignite, just transition and post-mining land use, complementing the metallic and industrial mineral operations featured on other days.

In December, continue opening a new door every day and you can explore all 24 mines featured this year on the main MineGuessr mining advent calendar page.

Day 1 - Aitik (Sweden, copper-gold open pit)
A large, low-grade copper operation south of Gällivare
👉 Open Door 1 - Aitik
Day 2 - Björkdal (Sweden, gold)
Gold mine near Skellefteå, combining open-pit and underground mining.
👉 Open Door 2 - Björkdal
Day 3 - Kemi (Finland, chrome)
Chrome mine in northern Finland, Europe’s only chromite operation.
👉 Open Door 3 - Kemi
Day 4 - Ørtfjell (Norway, iron ore)
Iron ore mine in Norway’s Dunderland Valley, evolving from large open pits to underground mining.
👉 Open Door 4 - Ørtfjell
Day 5 - Trimouns (France, talc)
World’s largest working talc quarry high in the French Pyrenees above Luzenac.
👉 Open Door 5 - Trimouns
Day 6 - Skouries (Greece, copper-gold porphyry)
High-grade copper–gold porphyry project in the forests of Halkidiki, still under construction.
👉 Open Door 6 - Skouries
Day 7 - Las Cruces (Spain, copper)
High-grade hydromet copper mine in the Iberian Pyrite Belt north-west of Seville.
👉 Open Door 7 - Las Cruces
Day 8 - Assarel–Medet (Bulgaria, copper)
Twin porphyry copper open pits in the Panagyurishte district, from Europe’s former largest open-pit copper mine at Medet to today’s modern Assarel operation.
👉 Open Door 8 - Assarel–Medet
Day 9 - Glomel (France, andalusite)
World-class andalusite open-pit quarry in Brittany’s Montagnes Noires, supplying refractory minerals for Europe’s steel, foundry, cement and glass industries.
👉 Open Door 9 - Glomel
Day 10 - Parnassos–Ghiona (Greece, bauxite)
Karst-type bauxite mines in the Parnassos–Ghiona mountains, a historic alumina feedstock district supplying Greece’s aluminium industry.
👉 Open Door 10 - Parnassos–Ghiona
Day 11 - Kittilä (Finland, gold)
Europe’s largest primary gold mine at the Suurikuusikko orogenic gold deposit north of the Arctic Circle.
👉 Open Door 11 - Kittilä
Day 13 - Cornwall china clay (UK)
Historic Imerys china clay pits near St Austell, where bright white kaolin benches and tips reshape “Clay Country” over decades of mining and restoration.
👉 Open Door 13 - Cornwall china clay
Day 14 - Aggeria–Agia Irini (Greece, bentonite)
Overlapping bentonite open pits on the volcanic island of Milos, anchoring one of Europe’s key industrial minerals districts.
👉 Open Door 14 - Aggeria–Agia Irini
Day 15 - Skouriotissa (Cyprus, copper & hydromet)
Ancient copper mining district in the Troodos ophiolite, now a hydrometallurgical hub processing copper, gold and battery-metal feed.
👉 Open Door 15 - Skouriotissa
Day 16 - Tunstead (UK, limestone & cement)
The UK’s largest limestone quarry near Buxton, feeding an integrated lime and cement works with long-term restoration and biodiversity plans.
👉 Open Door 16 - Tunstead
Day 17 - Narva (Estonia, oil shale)
Large open-pit oil shale mine in Ida-Viru County, supplying the Narva power plants and reshaping the landscape with strip mining and reclamation.
👉 Open Door 17 - Narva
Day 18 - Sydvaranger (Norway, iron ore)
Arctic banded iron formation at Bjørnevatn near Kirkenes, evolving toward DR-grade magnetite for Europe’s green steel transition.
👉 Open Door 18 - Sydvaranger
Day 19 - Kevitsa (Finland, nickel–copper–PGE)
Multimetal open-pit mine in Finnish Lapland, combining Ni–Cu–PGE production with trolley-assisted haulage for lower-emission mining.
👉 Open Door 19 - Kevitsa
Day 20 - Styrian Erzberg (Austria, iron ore)
Terraced “pyramid” open-pit iron ore mine at Eisenerz, turning 12 Mt of rock into ~3 Mt of ore each year for Austria’s steel industry.
👉 Open Door 20 - Styrian Erzberg
Day 21 - Minas de Alquife (Spain, iron ore)
Europe’s largest open-pit iron ore mine in Granada, restarting in 2020 after two decades of closure to supply high-grade ore to European steelmakers.
👉 Open Door 21 - Minas de Alquife
Day 22 - Siilinjärvi (Finland, phosphate)
EU’s only operating phosphate mine in central Finland, mining an Archean carbonatite for fertiliser-grade apatite and creating distinctive pale tailings and phosphogypsum stacks.
👉 Open Door 22 - Siilinjärvi
Day 23 - Tellnes (Norway, ilmenite/titanium)
World-class ilmenite open pit in the Rogaland Anorthosite Province, supplying TiO₂ pigment feedstock from one of Europe’s largest titanium deposits.
👉 Open Door 23 - Tellnes
Day 24 - Elatsite (Bulgaria, copper–gold porphyry)
High-altitude porphyry copper–gold open pit in Bulgaria’s Srednogorie zone, with ore conveyed under the Balkan Mountains to a separate flotation–tailings complex.
👉 Open Door 24 - Elatsite

About Gosselin Mining

At Gosselin Mining, we work with mining companies, investors and authorities on exactly the kind of questions the Oltenia Energy Complex raises: life-of-mine and life-of-basin planning, closure and rehabilitation, and the interface between mining and decarbonisation. If you are looking to:

Stress-test closure and transition scenarios for a coal, lignite or other large-footprint operation
Benchmark your land-use and rehabilitation strategy against peer operations in Europe
Connect mine planning, ESG performance and energy-transition roadmaps into a coherent strategy

…you are very welcome to book a meeting with us.