The pipe conveyor - an adaptation of the belt conveyor design that encloses the conveyed material completely by forming the belt into a pipe shape while carrying the material to eliminate spillage and reduce potential environmental problems – is a key element in the rehabilitation of the former Crossen mill and the on-site tailings pile as well as of the Helmsdorf tailings management area (TMA).

The remedial concept for the Crossen site proposes to haul waste rock material, demolition debris, and excavated soil material to the nearby Helmsdorf TMA were the materials will be used as fill during cover construction.The pipe conveyor was commissioned in 1997 to ensure environmentally friendly haulage of the Crossen materials to the tailings pond site.

With a total length of some 2 km, the pipe conveyor bridges the Zwickauer Mulde river, federal road # 93/175 and railway lines.