Mine water as a heat source
H.D Services Ltd advocate the use of groundwater as a heat source and centre our renewable operations on this concept. We have been working with groundwater for over 30 years and know the heat properties it holds and the potential for this to heat homes and businesses throughout the United Kingdom. While we specialise in the abstraction of groundwater from the chalk aquifer underlying the South East of England, there are other opportunities which should be considered.
One such opportunity is being explored by the British Geological Survey (BGS) and Glasgow City Council who are using an abandoned coal mine under Glasgow as a Green Heat research hub and are investigating the potential of groundwater in mines as a source of renewable heat energy to help warm the cities homes.
The aim of the study is to identify those parts of the city which offer the best prospects of providing heat energy using mine water and bedrock aquifers. The warmer water held in these places could help Glasgow to meet the Government target of 11% of heat demand being provided by renewable sources by 2020 and may contribute to the cities aim to become one of Europe’s most sustainable cities within the next ten years.
The BGS project results indicate that up to 40% of the cities heat demand could be met by utilising the heat in water contained in abandoned mines under Glasgow. A president has already been set and evidence exists that the scheme has great potential. A small scheme in Shettleston has been utilising the heat in mine water to heat 17 domestic properties for over 10 years.
The idea is simple, there is a huge amount of water held in tunnels and shafts which can be accessed and the heat extracted using heat pump technology. The heat in lower temperature water held in these places can be ‘concentrated’ and raised in temperature to help heat the cities homes. (For more information on how heat pumps work, click here.) It is also possible that these systems could provide cooling by simply being reversed. In the summer, heat could be stored underground for use in the colder months.
More information on this project can be found on the BGS website and in Glasgow City Council’s Local Development Plan.