As a part of our work to make a greater future for individuals and the surroundings in mining areas, we’re exploring alternatives to make use of mine water to warmth and funky properties and companies.
Water inside the mines is warmed by pure processes and may, if sustainably managed, present a steady provide of warmth. Mine water temperatures are usually not affected by differences due to the season and, topic to the appropriate assist, mine water can present renewable, safe, low carbon heating for buildings in coalfield areas.
With heating accounting for 40% of power use within the UK, mine water warmth might enhance the sustainability of the locations the place we dwell and work. Mine water warmth might additionally play an element within the UK’s efforts to sort out local weather change and assist its web zero future.
The Coal Authority are working with lecturers, native authorities, central authorities and others to assist realise the potential of mine water warmth. We’re supporting the supply of mine water warmth initiatives and dealing with others to make them occur.
Coalfield areas in Nice Britain
Intensive coalfields exist throughout Nice Britain and it’s estimated that 25% of properties and companies within the UK are situated above former coal mines.
To know the potential for mine water warmth, and the Coal Authority and the British Geological Survey (BGS) launched an interactive map exhibiting estimated mine water temperatures inside British Coalfields in 2020.
Study extra concerning the interactive map that reveals warmth saved in Britain’s deserted coal mines
Mine water will get hotter the deeper it’s, following a ‘geothermal gradient’. Temperatures vary from 10 – 20°C nonetheless they will attain 40°C at depths of round 1km. Mine water could be abstracted from boreholes, shafts or adits.
Warmth exchangers and warmth pumps are used to get well the warmth and distribute, by way of district heating networks to properties and buildings.
Mine water warmth schemes in growth
Massive scale mine water heating schemes are solely simply being explored and launched within the UK.
Seaham Backyard Village
Working with Durham County Council we’re supporting the event of an exemplary home mine water warmth scheme as a part of the brand new Backyard Village at Seaham, County Durham.
Mine water, from an current mine water remedy scheme, owned and operated by the Coal Authority, will assist a district heating community that might present warmth to 1,500 new properties.
Seaham Backyard Village has an estimated lifetime saving, over a 25 interval, of 63,989 tonnes of CO2 when the scheme is constructed. This equates to annual financial savings of about 2,600 tonnes CO2.
Gateshead
The Coal Authority are supporting the council-owned Gateshead Power Firm and contractors to ship a mine water heating scheme that can feed into an current district heating community.
Warmth from mine water contained in workings 150m beneath Gateshead city centre will probably be used.
A 6MW water supply warmth pump will get well warmth and distribute by way of the warmth community to as much as 1,250 new non-public properties, a care residence, Gateshead Worldwide Stadium and different Council-owned buildings in Felling.
This challenge has an estimated saving of 72,000 tonnes of CO2 over 40 years which equates to annual financial savings of about 1,800 tonnes CO2 each year.
The Coal Authority are additionally engaged on different mine water warmth schemes throughout Nice Britain, at places together with:
In the event you’d prefer to know extra about our work please get in contact, you may as well observe us on social media or look out for the dialogue at #CleanEnergyFromTheCoalfields