Maps have been created showing dozens of abandoned coal mines across Britain that could be used to provide low-carbon heating for homes and businesses.
A quarter of the UK’s population live above abandoned coal mines, which are warmed by natural geothermal processes, the Coal Authority said.
The authority, and the British Geological Survey (BGS), released an interactive map showing where the mines are how how much temperature increases with depth.
Where the mines are flooded, the mine water can be used as a sustainable heat source for district heating systems that could replace conventional gas boilers.
The idea behind the new interactive tool is that it could be used by developers, planners and researchers to identify opportunities to use the mine water for heat.
Coal Authority head of innovation, Jeremy Crooks, says it is ‘ironic’ that mining for a fossil fuel could lead to a low carbon energy source that will last for generations.
The authority, and the British Geological Survey (BGS), released an interactive map showing where the mines are how how much temperature increases with depth
The Government has set out plans for around one in five buildings to use a largely low carbon district heat network by 2050.
Researchers hope that disused mines could be a source of heat for such projects and the first few are already starting to be used by local councils.
Earlier this year, Gateshead Council secured a £5.9 million grant to double its district heating network, including technology to extract heat from water in mine workings.
And a garden village at Seaham, County Durham, is being developed next to Dawdon mine water treatment scheme, heat from which will be used for the first large scale mine energy district heating scheme in the UK, the Coal Authority said.
Where the mines are flooded, the mine water can be used as a sustainable heat source for district heating systems that could replace conventional gas boilers
BGS geoscientist, Gareth Farr, who led the map project said it was the first time they have been able to visualise the temperature in Britain’s coalfields.
‘We have records of heat temperatures going back over 100 years and compared them to temperatures in the mines now, and found them to be quite similar.’
‘This is a clear indication that geothermal processes that create this heat will be here for a long time to come,’ the BGS researcher explained.
Crooks, said miners working in the hot, dusty conditions couldn’t have know their efforts and heat they worked in would one day create a sustainable energy source for hundreds of years to come.
‘We are currently reviewing over thirty potential heat network opportunities using geothermal mine energy,’ he explained.
The projects in Gateshead and Seaham Garden Village are the first two to secure funding from a government £320 million Heat Network Investment Programme.
‘It’s ironic that mining coal, a fossil fuel, would provide access to a low carbon, clean air, energy source that will last far longer than the 200 years of intensive mining that created this opportunity,’ added Crooks.
‘The maps we’ve jointly produced is a visual indication of how real and exciting this opportunity is.’
Not all abandoned mines will be suitable for conversion to geothermal energy sources as they require certain conditions including deep flooding
The idea behind the new interactive tool is that it could be used by developers, planners and researchers to identify opportunities to use the mine water for heat
It highlights areas where warm water has been abstracted by pumping – creating opportunities to harvest the head without having to drill into the workings.
Heating is responsible for about 44 per cent of all energy use in the UK and responsible for 32 per cent of the air pollution in the country.
‘It’s ironic that mining coal, a fossil fuel, would provide access to a low carbon, clean air, energy source that will last far longer than the 200 years of intensive mining that created this opportunity,’ said Crooks.
The research that led to the development of the interactive map has been published in the Quarterly Journal of Engineering Geology and Hydrogeology.
Revealed: MailOnline dissects the impact greenhouse gases have on the planet – and what is being done to stop air pollution
Emissions
Carbon dioxide
Carbon dioxide (CO2) is one of the biggest contributors to global warming. After the gas is released into the atmosphere it stays there, making it difficult for heat to escape – and warming up the planet in the process.
It is primarily released from burning fossil fuels such as coal, oil and gas, as well as cement production.
The average monthly concentration of CO2 in the Earth’s atmosphere, as of April 2019, is 413 parts per million (ppm). Before the Industrial Revolution, the concentration was just 280 ppm.
CO2 concentration has fluctuated over the last 800,000 years between 180 to 280ppm, but has been vastly accelerated by pollution caused by humans.
Nitrogen dioxide
The gas nitrogen dioxide (NO2) comes from burning fossil fuels, car exhaust emissions and the use of nitrogen-based fertilisers used in agriculture.
Although there is far less NO2 in the atmosphere than CO2, it is between 200 and 300 times more effective at trapping heat.
Sulfur dioxide
Sulfur dioxide (SO2) also primarily comes from fossil fuel burning, but can also be released from car exhausts.
SO2 can react with water, oxygen and other chemicals in the atmosphere to cause acid rain.
Carbon monoxide
Carbon monoxide (CO) is an indirect greenhouse gas as it reacts with hydroxyl radicals, removing them. Hydroxyl radicals reduce the lifetime of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases.
Particulates
What is particulate matter?
Particulate matter refers to tiny parts of solids or liquid materials in the air.
Some are visible, such as dust, whereas others cannot be seen by the naked eye.
Materials such as metals, microplastics, soil and chemicals can be in particulate matter.
Particulate matter (or PM) is described in micrometres. The two main ones mentioned in reports and studies are PM10 (less than 10 micrometres) and PM2.5 (less than 2.5 micrometres).
Air pollution comes from burning fossil fuels, cars, cement making and agriculture
Scientists measure the rate of particulates in the air by cubic metre.
Particulate matter is sent into the air by a number of processes including burning fossil fuels, driving cars and steel making.
Why are particulates dangerous?
Particulates are dangerous because those less than 10 micrometres in diameter can get deep into your lungs, or even pass into your bloodstream. Particulates are found in higher concentrations in urban areas, particularly along main roads.
Health impact
What sort of health problems can pollution cause?
According to the World Health Organization, a third of deaths from stroke, lung cancer and heart disease can be linked to air pollution.
Some of the effects of air pollution on the body are not understood, but pollution may increase inflammation which narrows the arteries leading to heart attacks or strokes.
As well as this, almost one in 10 lung cancer cases in the UK are caused by air pollution.
Particulates find their way into the lungs and get lodged there, causing inflammation and damage. As well as this, some chemicals in particulates that make their way into the body can cause cancer.
Deaths from pollution
Around seven million people die prematurely because of air pollution every year. Pollution can cause a number of issues including asthma attacks, strokes, various cancers and cardiovascular problems.
Asthma triggers
Air pollution can cause problems for asthma sufferers for a number of reasons. Pollutants in traffic fumes can irritate the airways, and particulates can get into your lungs and throat and make these areas inflamed.
Problems in pregnancy
Women exposed to air pollution before getting pregnant are nearly 20 per cent more likely to have babies with birth defects, research suggested in January 2018.
Living within 3.1 miles (5km) of a highly-polluted area one month before conceiving makes women more likely to give birth to babies with defects such as cleft palates or lips, a study by University of Cincinnati found.
For every 0.01mg/m3 increase in fine air particles, birth defects rise by 19 per cent, the research adds.
Previous research suggests this causes birth defects as a result of women suffering inflammation and ‘internal stress’.
What is being done to tackle air pollution?
Paris agreement on climate change
The Paris Agreement, which was first signed in 2015, is an international agreement to control and limit climate change.
It hopes to hold the increase in the global average temperature to below 2°C (3.6ºF) ‘and to pursue efforts to limit the temperature increase to 1.5°C (2.7°F)’.
Carbon neutral by 2050
The UK government has announced plans to make the country carbon neutral by 2050.
They plan to do this by planting more trees and by installing ‘carbon capture’ technology at the source of the pollution.
Some critics are worried that this first option will be used by the government to export its carbon offsetting to other countries.
International carbon credits let nations continue emitting carbon while paying for trees to be planted elsewhere, balancing out their emissions.
No new petrol or diesel vehicles by 2040
In 2017, the UK government announced the sale of new petrol and diesel cars would be banned by 2040.
However, MPs on the climate change committee have urged the government to bring the ban forward to 2030, as by then they will have an equivalent range and price.
The Paris Agreement, which was first signed in 2015, is an international agreement to control and limit climate change. Pictured: air pollution over Paris in 2019.
Norway’s electric car subsidies
The speedy electrification of Norway’s automotive fleet is attributed mainly to generous state subsidies. Electric cars are almost entirely exempt from the heavy taxes imposed on petrol and diesel cars, which makes them competitively priced.
A VW Golf with a standard combustion engine costs nearly 334,000 kroner (34,500 euros, $38,600), while its electric cousin the e-Golf costs 326,000 kroner thanks to a lower tax quotient.
Criticisms of inaction on climate change
The Committee on Climate Change (CCC) has said there is a ‘shocking’ lack of Government preparation for the risks to the country from climate change.
The committee assessed 33 areas where the risks of climate change had to be addressed – from flood resilience of properties to impacts on farmland and supply chains – and found no real progress in any of them.
The UK is not prepared for 2°C of warming, the level at which countries have pledged to curb temperature rises, let alone a 4°C rise, which is possible if greenhouse gases are not cut globally, the committee said.
It added that cities need more green spaces to stop the urban ‘heat island’ effect, and to prevent floods by soaking up heavy rainfall.
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