‘Scotland is standing on the verge of £300m geothermal revolution’
Generating heat from disused coal pits will supply 100 years of power
Scotland’s ailing former coal field communities must spearhead a £300 million “geothermal revolution” by unlocking heat from flooded mineworks to provide low-cost energy to families, according to a Scots MP.
Owen Thompson, who represents former mining areas in Midlothian, called for a push to harness geothermal energy from old mineworks, which could heat homes and battle climate change.
The move would develop low-carbon heating systems, regenerate local economies and reawaken energy extraction in communities which were devastated by pit closures and years of under investment in a sustainable way.
Thompson said: “We urgently need a geothermal revolution that can provide clean energy and rehabilitate our former coal field communities.
“The potential is huge for geothermal energy to provide an indigenous, lowcarbon and green alternative for heating homes.
“But instead of setting the pace, we are falling behind. The British Geological Survey’s report into unlocking geothermal potential estimates that resources in the UK ‘are sufficient to deliver about 100 years of heat supply for the entire UK’.
“The development of mine water geothermal across Scotland alone could deliver economic growth equivalent to £303 million and about 9,800 jobs.
“Scotland has plenty of abandoned mineworkings, two proven examples where homes are using that energy and a specialist research and testing centre.
“Our former areas are also desperate for jobs and regeneration but we are not capitalising on these opportunities.”
Geothermal potential in Scotland was explored with projects at Shettleston in Glasgow and Lumphinnans in Fife in recent years.
The country also boasts a specialist geothermal research facility – the UK Geo-energy Observatory in Glasgow – designed to investigate shallow, lowtemperature mine water heat energy and potential heat storage resources.
But despite this, Thompson says Scotland now risks falling behind. He said: “There is so much potential for development of these types of heating schemes, and at far more efficient cost, if we can take advantage of the maze of disused mines full of warm water that is below our feet.
“For communities devastated by pit closures, it would be a fantastic change of fortune to see the legacy of the industrial past being repurposed for a green energy future.
“Midlothian has a long coal mining history and a labyrinth of old pits. We are far from unique, as an estimated quarter of UK homes are situated on former coal fields.
“Repurposing the infrastructure to extract energy from the coal mines again is a sustainable and exciting prospect.
“It could breathe new life into these areas which suffer from decades of neglect and still feel the toll of Margaret Thatcher’s legacy.”
He said that Scotland did not yet have large-scale geothermal projects but Scottish Government funding had supported a number of feasibility studies.
He added: “The Scottish Government have been working with stakeholders to build on the experience of two smallscale geothermal developments in the central belt which ran for over a decade.
“They have also sought to clarify the regulatory framework for deep geothermal projects, producing guidance documentation in liaison with the relevant regulatory authorities.”
A project in Gateshead, developed by the publicly owned Gateshead Energy Company, began supplying Gateshead College, the Baltic Arts Centre, several offices and 350 council-owned homes in March.
The technology would also breathe new life into former coalfields in Fife, the Lothians, Lanarkshire and Ayrshire.
In the former coalfield areas, wages are below average, job growth lags behind big cities and there are large numbers of people out of the labour market on incapacity benefits.
Thompson said: “The former coal fields are a distinctive part of Britain. Their long and proud history of mining developed unique local economies, cultures and landscapes.
“For many years, the coal industry had a massive influence but now there are grave concerns over the welfare of current and future residents. The miners’ strike of 1984/85 may be fading in the public consciousness but the aftermath is still felt today. A geothermal revolution offers a lifeline to these areas, many of which I see every day in Midlothian. Fundamental imbalances in labour markets, social mobility and health persist but this technology offers a way out of the morass.”
The Environmental Audit Committee at Westminster has observed that the UK Government has been slow to exploit the potential of geothermal and has not integrated it fully into the net zero strategy – an issue also highlighted in the recent Net Zero Review from Chris Skidmore MP.
A report by the All-Party Parliamentary Group for the Coalfield Communities called Next Steps In Levelling Up The Former Coalfields also recommended the UK and devolved governments investigate geothermal mine water energy as a sustainable heating source.
Gareth Farr, head of heat and by-product innovation at the Coal Authority, said: “Recently we have supported Gateshead Council in the north east of England which has commissioned the largest mine water heat network in the UK.
“It is providing up to 6MW of heat to hundreds of homes, a college, arts centre and offices, at less than the cost of gas, proving that this concept is technology ready and could be delivered at sites in the Scottish coal field.
“Scotland boasts a lot of potential for mine water heat schemes as 51% of homes and businesses sit on the Scottish coal field, and we are actively exploring locations for viable projects with our partners,” said Farr.
“Disused mine workings occur across large areas of central Scotland, and are often in close proximity to places where people live and work. Using local, secure sources for heat networks can provide heating and cooling at a competitive cost to the consumer while supporting the just transition to net zero, creating new green jobs and economic opportunities.”
The Department for Energy Security and Net Zero said: “The government is laser focused on strengthening the UK’s energy security and we will do this with a more diverse future energy mix.”