Hambach surface mine

The Tagebau Hambach is a large open-pit mine (Tagebau) in Niederzier and Elsdorf, North-Rhine Westphalia, Germany. It is operated by RWE and used for mining lignite. Begun in 1978, the mine's operation area currently (as of 2011) has a size of 39 km², with the total area designated for mining having a size of 85 km². It is the deepest open pit mine with respect to sea level: the bottom of the pit is 299m below sea level, the deepest man-made point on the Earth's surface.