Old gas storage site: comprehensive soil remediation is imminent

Soil remediation work will begin at the 38,000-square-metre site on Zinkhüttenweg in Dormagen-Delrath in the first half of the year.

Work is progressing on the site of the old gas storage facility in Dormagen-Delrath, which is to be prepared for new commercial use: the demolition of the former gas storage plant has been underway since November 2024. This involves the complete dismantling of the building on the property. After the demolition work is completed, the Hagedorn Group and GDD Development plan to start the soil remediation measures.

The Hagedorn Group and GDD Development, which acquired the site in autumn 2024, specialise in the revitalisation of so-called brownfield sites, i.e. the remediation of brownfield sites that have mostly been used for industrial purposes and often contain contaminated soil. Due to the area's usage history, the remediation of the contaminated sites in Dormagen is also essential: the fill material, which is up to four metres high, will be removed, the material processed and the pollutants removed. To this end, a detailed soil management concept has been drawn up in collaboration with the Rhein-Kreis Neuss district authority. This involves first removing 30 centimetres of the top layer of soil and then gradually raising the underlying soil by one and a half metres with new material. This is to ensure the best possible protection against the contaminated site.

At the moment, the Hagedorn demolition team is working on dismantling the warehouse, the administration building and the foundations. Most of the material from the demolition will be recycled and processed directly on site into high-quality recycled material.

In addition to the recycling of the demolition material, the protection of the animal world also plays a central role. An expert species protection consultant is therefore currently accompanying the project. The first inspections took place as early as August 2024 to check for the presence of birds, amphibians and reptiles and to protect them.

‘When reactivating brownfield sites, the issue of species protection is of great importance and is considered an important part of our work. Therefore, we assess potential impacts both before the start of the measures and throughout the entire project – in close consultation with authorities and experts,’ emphasises Daniel Stoll, project manager at Hagedorn Revital GmbH, a Hagedorn Group company.

Hagedorn is a Germany-wide full-service provider in the fields of deconstruction, disposal and recycling, civil engineering, heavy haulage logistics and site revitalisation. With the help of its process chain, the group has already revitalised more than 3.5 million square metres of brownfield sites.
 

In Dormagen, Hagedorn is working together with GDD Development GmbH, a medium-sized, family-run investor from Erkrath, with Jan-Gerd Bach as managing director.

The plans for the development of the area are expected to be announced in March as part of the early public participation process.