Making the Red One Green – Renewable Heat from Abandoned Flooded Mines

Banks, D. (2016) Making the Red One Green – Renewable Heat from Abandoned Flooded Mines. In: 36th Annual Groundwater Conference of the International Association of Hydrogeologists (Irish Group): "Sustaining Ireland's Water Future: The Role of Groundwater", Tullamore, County Offaly, Ireland, 12-13 Apr 2016, pp. 1-9.

Abstract

Abandoned mines are often allowed to flood, sometimes overflowing at the surface to form discharges of potentially contaminated (often ochreous, acidic or metal-rich) mine water. Other such mines are actively pumped and managed to prevent contaminated water overspilling at the surface. They are usually regarded as environmental or economic liabilities. At increasing numbers of locations throughout the world, the huge reservoir of warm(ish) water contained in these mines is being utilised as a thermal resource or store, providing “green” space heating or cooling. The underground network of tunnels and shafts provides a heat exchange interface with the rocks in the mined area. In this way, it is possible to convert an ochreous reddish-orange environmental liability into a green renewable energy asset. Five main factors hinder the adoption of mine water as a thermal resource: (i) the lack of proven heating and cooling demand in the vicinity of some mines; (ii) the major investment required in district heating/cooling systems to optimally utilise the resource; (iii) legislative and licensing uncertainty; (iv) the perceived risk of ochre/metal precipitate clogging of heat exchangers and injection wells; (v) the perceived risk of rapid thermal breakthrough of re-injected thermally spent water at the production well. This paper examines how these issues have been tackled at a number of European mine water sites. “Will all great Neptune's ocean wash this blood clean from my hand? No; this my hand will rather the multitudinous seas incarnadine, making the green one red" William Shakespeare, Macbeth, Act II, Scene 2

• Item Type: Conference Proceedings
• Additional Information: Published in Proceedings of the 36th Annual Groundwater Conference of the International Association of Hydrogeologists (Irish Group) 134 pages: "Sustaining Ireland's Water Future: The Role of Groundwater", Session VI, pages 1-9.
• Status: Published
• Refereed: Yes
• Glasgow Author(s) Enlighten ID: Banks, Mr David
• Authors: Banks, D.
• Subjects: Q Science > QE Geology; T Technology > TD Environmental technology. Sanitary engineering; T Technology > TN Mining engineering. Metallurgy
• College/School: College of Science and Engineering > School of Engineering > Systems Power and Energy
• Publisher Policy: Reproduced with the permission of IAH Irish Group

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