It was reported on 12 September that the Gateshead hot water scheme is developing apace. It was noted that hot water in the old mine workings around 150 metres below the town is now being utilised through a six MW water source heat pump and is therefore being used to heat homes and public buildings in Gateshead.
The system began operating three and a half years ago, following three years of development. It draws heat from what used to be coal mine workings before sending it through more than 5 kilometres of district heating pipes.
Consequently, buildings such as the Baltic Art Centre, numerous offices, Gateshead College and as many as 350 council owned homes are now heated by this green energy from the old mine workings.
There are future plans to connect a proposed conference centre and hotel and another 270 privately owned homes. The scheme is also a boon to researchers as it provides them with data on how abandoned mine workings can support lower carbon heating. It is therefore hoped that where Gateshead is going today, many other places can go tomorrow.
It is also argued that “minewater becomes warmer with increasing depth because of what the mining authority describes as a geothermal gradient. m mine water temperatures generally range from 10°C to 20°C, although they can reach 40°C at depths of around 1 kilometre.
“Water can be brought to the surface through boreholes shafts or addits before heat exchangers and pumps recover its heat. The authority says mine water temperatures are not affected by seasonal variations and describes mine water as a potential source of renewable secure low carbon heating for buildings in coalfield areas with the right support and sustainable management”.
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Other green energy plans in Gateshead
Before the election of the Reform-run council in Gateshead, the previous council also talked about other renewable energy developments in the town.
It was noted that new £4mn urban solar parks were being developed alongside the mine water scheme. These solar parks will provide green electricity to run the mine water heating system, as well as other council buildings and were said to be among the largest in the country.
In the early 2020s Gateshead council invested in these projects with funding from the Department for Business Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) and by using the expertise of the Coal Authority. Both the Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme and the Heat Network Investment Programme, benefited from this.
Meanwhile, the Gateshead Energy Company worked with suppliers GEA Refrigeration and SAS Energy and with contractors Drilcorp and Balfour Beatty to bring the projects forward.
The council also stated that “the Gateshead mine water project is the largest mine water heat scheme of its kind in the UK. Until now mine water has only been used to heat smaller scale buildings or warehouses”.
“The mine water system aims to take the legacy of the first industrial revolution and harness it to build a new green revolution”.
Since 2018, Gateshead has operated its own District Energy Network (DEN) since 2018 through its wholly owned Gateshead Energy Company. However at first, the water in the network was heated solely by gas-powered Combined Heat and Power (CHP) engines. It was then noted that “now mine water will provide up to half the heat required by buildings connected to the network”.
The mine water is at a temperature of 15°C, and is taken from drilled boreholes, It is then passed through a heat exchanger. This transfers heat, via a heat pump, into a network of underground pipes supplying hot water at 80°C to buildings and homes.
The mine water doesn’t actually flow through the network heating the buildings. Instead, it is returned to the ground once the natural heat is taken.
Innovation and Engagement Director at the Coal Authority Richard Bond commented at the time:
“It’s fantastic that forward thinking local authorities like Gateshead Council are using warm mine water underground to provide low carbon space heating for buildings.”
“This is a low carbon, secure, UK owned and locally based source of heat which is a great option for many coalfield communities across Britain. We are very pleased to have provided our support to help make this project a reality.
“These communities, which played such a big role in our industrial past, will be a part of the green future through these schemes and benefit from the new green industries and green jobs resulting from this new source of heat.”
Great potential for the future
The scheme in Gateshead could be of great benefit to many parts of Britain. It is argued that geothermal heat from mines is a sustainable and low carbon, secure source of energy that could be really important to coalfield areas in years to come. The scheme in Gateshead is one of several geothermal energy projects that the Mining Remediation Authority is collaborating on across the country.
It is further noted that “heat accounts for half of the UK’s energy demands, with most currently derived from gas. However, government targets state that by 2025 there will be no gas connections in new build houses and businesses. Technology-ready alternatives, such as mine water heat networks, are sure to play a huge role in supplying Britain’s energy needs for years to come”.
The Mining Remediation Authority also state that their specialist mine water heat team can provide support, consultancy and advice to a range of external stakeholders about projects across the nation.
North East leading the way in green energy
The North East has traditionally been a place of innovation and it is highly appropriate that we should be leading the way with this development as well.
Let us all hope that the mine water scheme can now be rolled out across other parts of the old coalfield area of the North East and indeed in other parts of both the country and the world to provide clean, cheap energy.
