How heat from old coal mines became a source of local pride in this northern English town – new study

In Gateshead, north-east England, a solar park provides electricity for a mine water heat pump that provides district heating. Graeme J Baty/Shutterstock

Around a quarter of UK homes lie on disused coalfields. These abandoned coal mines are flooded with water that is naturally heated by the Earth.

This has enormous potential as a sustainable energy source. Schemes such as the mine water district heat network in Gateshead, in north-east England, are already providing low-carbon, cheaper heat and hot water to residential homes.