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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
Environment
Charlie West

Flooded UK coalmines could provide low-carbon cheap heat ‘for generations’

The Frances colliery pithead in Fife, Scotland behind barbed wire
A disused pithead in Fife, Scotland. The report estimates a quarter of UK homes sit above flooded workings, where mine water geothermal heat (MWGH) could be used. Photograph: Murdo Macleod/The Guardian

Flooded disused coalmines could be a significant source of energy and provide cheap heat to thousands of homes, a new report argues.

Mine water geothermal heat (MWGH) systems use the water in flooded coalmines, which is warmed by natural processes, to supply low-carbon heat. Heat exchangers and pumps recover the heat, which is distributed via district heating networks to homes and buildings, providing low-cost, long-term, stable energy.

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