Time Zero for Net Zero: A Coal Mine Baseline for Decarbonising Heat
Mine water geothermal energy could provide sustainable heating, cooling and storage to assist in the decarbonisation of heat and achieving Net Zero carbon emissions. However, mined environments are highly complex and we currently lack the understanding to confidently enable a widespread, cost-effect...
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Frontiers Media S.A.
2022-12-01
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| Series: | Earth Science, Systems and Society |
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| Online Access: | https://www.lyellcollection.org/doi/10.3389/esss.2022.10054 |
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| author | Alison A. Monaghan Luke Bateson Adrian J. Boyce Neil M. Burnside Rebecca Chambers Julia R. de Rezende Eilidh Dunnet Paul A. Everett Stuart M. V. Gilfillan Muhammad S. Jibrin Gareth Johnson Richard Luckett Donald John MacAllister Alan M. MacDonald John W. Moreau Laura Newsome Alessandro Novellino Barbara Palumbo-Roe Ryan Pereira Douglas Smith Mike J. Spence Vanessa Starcher Helen Taylor-Curran Christopher H. Vane Thomas Wagner David B. Walls |
| author_facet | Alison A. Monaghan Luke Bateson Adrian J. Boyce Neil M. Burnside Rebecca Chambers Julia R. de Rezende Eilidh Dunnet Paul A. Everett Stuart M. V. Gilfillan Muhammad S. Jibrin Gareth Johnson Richard Luckett Donald John MacAllister Alan M. MacDonald John W. Moreau Laura Newsome Alessandro Novellino Barbara Palumbo-Roe Ryan Pereira Douglas Smith Mike J. Spence Vanessa Starcher Helen Taylor-Curran Christopher H. Vane Thomas Wagner David B. Walls |
| author_sort | Alison A. Monaghan |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Mine water geothermal energy could provide sustainable heating, cooling and storage to assist in the decarbonisation of heat and achieving Net Zero carbon emissions. However, mined environments are highly complex and we currently lack the understanding to confidently enable a widespread, cost-effective deployment of the technology. Extensive and repeated use of the mined subsurface as a thermal source/store and the optimisation of operational infrastructure encompasses a range of scientific and technical challenges that require broad partnerships to address. We present emerging results of a pioneering multidisciplinary collaboration formed around an at-scale mine water geothermal research infrastructure in Glasgow, United Kingdom. Focused on a mined, urban environment, a range of approaches have been applied to both characterise the environmental change before geothermal activities to generate “time zero” datasets, and to develop novel monitoring tools for cost-effective and environmentally-sound geothermal operations. Time zero soil chemistry, ground gas, surface water and groundwater characterisation, together with ground motion and seismic monitoring, document ongoing seasonal and temporal variability that can be considered typical of a post-industrial, urban environment underlain by abandoned, flooded coal mine workings. In addition, over 550 water, rock and gas samples collected during borehole drilling and testing underwent diverse geochemical, isotopic and microbiological analysis. Initial results indicate a connected subsurface with modern groundwater, and resolve distinctive chemical, organic carbon and stable isotope signatures from different horizons that offer promise as a basis for monitoring methods. Biogeochemical interactions of sulphur, carbon and iron, plus indications of microbially-mediated mineral oxidation/reduction reactions require further investigation for long term operation. Integration of the wide array of time zero observations and understanding of coupled subsurface processes has significant potential to inform development of efficient and resilient geothermal infrastructure and to inform the design of fit-for-purpose monitoring approaches in the quest towards meeting Net Zero targets. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-d7ea3fbfdcd848efa1e57aff5a80d5af |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2634-730X |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2022-12-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
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| series | Earth Science, Systems and Society |
| spelling | doaj-art-d7ea3fbfdcd848efa1e57aff5a80d5af2025-01-10T14:04:52ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Earth Science, Systems and Society2634-730X2022-12-012110.3389/esss.2022.10054Time Zero for Net Zero: A Coal Mine Baseline for Decarbonising HeatAlison A. Monaghan0Luke Bateson1Adrian J. Boyce2Neil M. Burnside3Rebecca Chambers4Julia R. de Rezende5Eilidh Dunnet6Paul A. Everett7Stuart M. V. Gilfillan8Muhammad S. Jibrin9Gareth Johnson10Richard Luckett11Donald John MacAllister12Alan M. MacDonald13John W. Moreau14Laura Newsome15Alessandro Novellino16Barbara Palumbo-Roe17Ryan Pereira18Douglas Smith19Mike J. Spence20Vanessa Starcher21Helen Taylor-Curran22Christopher H. Vane23Thomas Wagner24David B. Walls251British Geological Survey, Edinburgh, United Kingdom2British Geological Survey, Nottingham, United Kingdom3Scottish Universities Environmental Research Centre, East Kilbride, United Kingdom4Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Strathclyde, Glasgow, United Kingdom5Grant Institute, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom6The Lyell Centre, Heriot-Watt University, Edinburgh, United Kingdom1British Geological Survey, Edinburgh, United Kingdom1British Geological Survey, Edinburgh, United Kingdom5Grant Institute, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom6The Lyell Centre, Heriot-Watt University, Edinburgh, United Kingdom4Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Strathclyde, Glasgow, United Kingdom1British Geological Survey, Edinburgh, United Kingdom1British Geological Survey, Edinburgh, United Kingdom1British Geological Survey, Edinburgh, United Kingdom7School of Geographical and Earth Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, United Kingdom8Camborne School of Mines and Environment and Sustainability Institute, University of Exeter Penryn, Cornwall, United Kingdom2British Geological Survey, Nottingham, United Kingdom2British Geological Survey, Nottingham, United Kingdom6The Lyell Centre, Heriot-Watt University, Edinburgh, United Kingdom2British Geological Survey, Nottingham, United Kingdom2British Geological Survey, Nottingham, United Kingdom1British Geological Survey, Edinburgh, United Kingdom2British Geological Survey, Nottingham, United Kingdom2British Geological Survey, Nottingham, United Kingdom6The Lyell Centre, Heriot-Watt University, Edinburgh, United Kingdom4Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Strathclyde, Glasgow, United KingdomMine water geothermal energy could provide sustainable heating, cooling and storage to assist in the decarbonisation of heat and achieving Net Zero carbon emissions. However, mined environments are highly complex and we currently lack the understanding to confidently enable a widespread, cost-effective deployment of the technology. Extensive and repeated use of the mined subsurface as a thermal source/store and the optimisation of operational infrastructure encompasses a range of scientific and technical challenges that require broad partnerships to address. We present emerging results of a pioneering multidisciplinary collaboration formed around an at-scale mine water geothermal research infrastructure in Glasgow, United Kingdom. Focused on a mined, urban environment, a range of approaches have been applied to both characterise the environmental change before geothermal activities to generate “time zero” datasets, and to develop novel monitoring tools for cost-effective and environmentally-sound geothermal operations. Time zero soil chemistry, ground gas, surface water and groundwater characterisation, together with ground motion and seismic monitoring, document ongoing seasonal and temporal variability that can be considered typical of a post-industrial, urban environment underlain by abandoned, flooded coal mine workings. In addition, over 550 water, rock and gas samples collected during borehole drilling and testing underwent diverse geochemical, isotopic and microbiological analysis. Initial results indicate a connected subsurface with modern groundwater, and resolve distinctive chemical, organic carbon and stable isotope signatures from different horizons that offer promise as a basis for monitoring methods. Biogeochemical interactions of sulphur, carbon and iron, plus indications of microbially-mediated mineral oxidation/reduction reactions require further investigation for long term operation. Integration of the wide array of time zero observations and understanding of coupled subsurface processes has significant potential to inform development of efficient and resilient geothermal infrastructure and to inform the design of fit-for-purpose monitoring approaches in the quest towards meeting Net Zero targets.https://www.lyellcollection.org/doi/10.3389/esss.2022.10054geochemistrygeothermalmine waterenvironmental monitoringgeomicrobiology |
| spellingShingle | Alison A. Monaghan Luke Bateson Adrian J. Boyce Neil M. Burnside Rebecca Chambers Julia R. de Rezende Eilidh Dunnet Paul A. Everett Stuart M. V. Gilfillan Muhammad S. Jibrin Gareth Johnson Richard Luckett Donald John MacAllister Alan M. MacDonald John W. Moreau Laura Newsome Alessandro Novellino Barbara Palumbo-Roe Ryan Pereira Douglas Smith Mike J. Spence Vanessa Starcher Helen Taylor-Curran Christopher H. Vane Thomas Wagner David B. Walls Time Zero for Net Zero: A Coal Mine Baseline for Decarbonising Heat Earth Science, Systems and Society geochemistry geothermal mine water environmental monitoring geomicrobiology |
| title | Time Zero for Net Zero: A Coal Mine Baseline for Decarbonising Heat |
| title_full | Time Zero for Net Zero: A Coal Mine Baseline for Decarbonising Heat |
| title_fullStr | Time Zero for Net Zero: A Coal Mine Baseline for Decarbonising Heat |
| title_full_unstemmed | Time Zero for Net Zero: A Coal Mine Baseline for Decarbonising Heat |
| title_short | Time Zero for Net Zero: A Coal Mine Baseline for Decarbonising Heat |
| title_sort | time zero for net zero a coal mine baseline for decarbonising heat |
| topic | geochemistry geothermal mine water environmental monitoring geomicrobiology |
| url | https://www.lyellcollection.org/doi/10.3389/esss.2022.10054 |
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