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Taking heat from flooded mines to be tested in new UK research facility
22/1/2025
News
The UK’s Mining Remediation Authority has inaugurated the Gateshead Mine Water Heat Living Laboratory, a new research initiative designed to expand the potential of mine water heat technology.
The Living Laboratory is situated in the vicinity of three mine water heat schemes, including Gateshead Energy Company’s mine water heat network – thought to be the largest of its kind in the country and one of the largest in Europe. A privately-funded scheme nearby at Lanchester Wines warehouses is also included.
The project involved drilling four boreholes and installing monitoring equipment to gather data on the thermal and hydrogeological behaviour between multiple mine water heat schemes within the Walker mining block in Tyne and Wear. It is thought to be the only location in the world where such phenomena can be studied between operational mine water heat schemes.
The data generated will complement the research work underway at the mine water energy observatory developed by the British Geological Survey in Glasgow. This is part of the UK Geoenergy Observatories project, comprising two at-scale facilities for research and innovation into shallow geothermal and underground thermal energy storage.
The Gateshead Living Laboratory will provide open-access data that will support future decisions on permitting and mine heat access agreements, with the aim to foster sustainable development and optimise the use of mine water heat as a secure, low-carbon heat source.