Beringen coal preparation plant, Coal processing facility in Beringen, Belgium

The Beringen coal preparation plant is a ten-story industrial structure made of steel frameworks, brick walls, and glass panels that dominates the skyline. It connects directly to railway lines designed for moving and loading coal efficiently throughout its operations.

Operations began in September 1924, making it a crucial hub for Belgium's coal industry during the 20th century. The facility shaped the region's industrial development and economy for many decades.

The building's name in Dutch, Kolenwasserij, refers to washing the mined coal free of waste rock, the plant's main above-ground task. Two internationally nominated photographers took it as a subject: Danny Veys showed 'Triage de Beeringen' at COALFACE gallery in 2008, and Jonny Vekemans exhibited 'Het licht is uit' in Iwamizawa, Japan, in 2013.

The plant can be viewed from outside today as part of the mining museum experience, allowing you to appreciate its industrial design and scale. Visit during daylight hours to see the architectural details and understand how the rail connections worked.

The plant's ten-storey metal frame stands on palisades above railway tracks, so coal could be loaded directly into wagons beneath it. Its facades alternate two bays of glass with one of brick masonry. Of the preserved washeries in the ERIH network, Beringen's is joined only by Zollverein in Essen and Blegny in Wallonia.