Abandoned pit to supply energy in the afterlife
A £7 million (€10 million) pilot scheme is being developed to test heat pump technology that will warm homes in the Scottish Lothian region from abandoned workings at Monktonhall Colliery.
The scheme aims to demonstrate that heat pumps can extract energy from the flooded workings which would then be distributed to local properties through a network of pipes. If successful, Midlothian Council intends to raise a further £7 million from the government and business to develop a working system.
The mine workings reach depths of up to 825 m and water with a temperature of 15°C comes to the surface on a daily basis. The Mine Water Project has been established with the support of the EU’s Interreg IIIB programme.