THE UK government has opened a lab in Gateshead in northeast England to research how heat can be extracted from water inside former coal mines.
The Living Laboratory opened this week and is situated near three existing mine water heat networks.
The Mining Remediation Authority (MRA), the government agency responsible for the lab, along with Gateshead Council, will publish open-access data on the temperature, chemistry, and pressure of water in the flooded mines.
The water inside former coal mines is typically between 20oC and 30oC, with the temperature increasing at greater depths. Water at 1 km below the surface in the Yorkshire coalfield around Doncaster has been recorded at 42oC.
Mine water is thought to be an efficient source of low-carbon heating and is already used to supply heat networks around the UK, the largest being in Gateshead, which was launched in March 2023. The council-owned Gateshead Energy Company’s heat network uses mine water from 150 m below the surface to heat 350 council homes along with public buildings including the Baltic Arts Centre and Gateshead College. It is predicted to save 1,800 t/y of CO2 over the next four decades.
A planned heat network for a new development in Seaham, County Durham, will be supplied by mine water with estimated emissions savings of 2,600 t/y of CO2 over its expected 25-year lifespan.
The MRA hopes the new lab can inform decisions on permitting and access for future mine water heat networks.
The lab’s proximity to the Gateshead Energy Company’s heat network and two other existing mine water heat networks will also allow researchers to explore the geothermal properties of the networks’ interconnectivity. Fiona Todd, a geoscientist at the MRA, said: “Our Living Laboratory will provide insights into the behaviour of mine water heat systems and help us understand how multiple schemes co-exist within the same region.
“This research project represents a strategic step in transforming Great Britain’s mining legacy into a powerful driver for sustainable growth. Repurposing disused mines as sources of low-carbon heat will deliver both environmental and economic benefits to local communities.”
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