Power from Mine Water

Categorie(s): City life, News, Sustainable Energy

World’s first minewater power
How abandoned coalmines provide new sustainable resource

The world’s first minewater power station has been opened in Heerlen on October 1st 2008. This purpose built power station is designed to use sustainable resources, as water from the abandoned mines below, to heat and cool over 200 homes, along with shops, a supermarket, a library and large office buildings. Estimated CO2 reduction: 55 per cent.

“We believe that the minewater power station will provide  proof that our concept works”, says Councillor Riet de Wit of the City of Heerlen. Since 2005 the City of Heerlen has been leading a team of 7 European partners aiming to prove that it is technically possible, economically viable and environmentally sound to extract geothermal energy from the water in former and closed mines on a large scale. The minewater concept is the brainchild of a City of Heerlen official. The Minewater Project has received strong support from the European Union.
To test the minewater concept, the City of Heerlen invested in drilling five wells to subtract minewater from mine galleries up to 700 metres below the Heerlen surface. In the meantime, Weller Housing Association took a chance and developed homes, commercial property and a library, featuring a heating and cooling system adapted to the minewater concept.

Economically viable resource

Last December, calculations indicated that minewater is indeed a long term economically viable resource, with energy rates not exceeding those of traditional energy sources. Organisations from France, Germany and the UK backed the innovative concept and supported Heerlen as the lead city. Additional assistance came in the form of funding from the EU with 48% of the €20 million costs coming from the Interreg IIIB NWE programme, part of the EU Cohesion Policy that channels investment from the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) into the economic, environmental, social and territorial future of North West Europe.

The power station consists of two sites in the centre and north of Heerlen. Work began in March 2005 when two 825-m wells were drilled at Heerlerheide to access trapped mine water at a temperature of 35°C. Three wells were then drilled at Stadpark Oranje Nassau, ranging from 250- to 500-m deep. These shallower wells receive the Heerlerheide water after it has been used for heating. This water will then be stored until needed for cooling.

Project partner Weller housing association constructed 200 houses, shops, offices, a library and a supermarket in the area between the two mine sites. All the buildings contain heating and cooling systems designed to run on energy from the mine water. Calculations estimate that the concept offers a 55% CO2 reduction.