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From shallow mine workings to deep basement rocks: A tour of UK low temperature geothermal resources
9 November 2023:7:30 pm - 9:00 pm
given by Dr. Cat Hirst (Senior Engineering Geologist, COWI, Glasgow)
From shallow mine workings to deep basement rocks: A tour of UK low temperature geothermal resources
Catherine M. Hirst1, Sally Jack1,2
1COWI UK Ltd, Fifth Floor, 310 St Vincent Street, Glasgow, G2 5RG.
2University of Strathclyde, 16 Richmond St, Glasgow, G1 1XQ, UK.
The UK has committed to be net zero by 2050 via the signing of the 2015 Paris Agreement and 2021 Glasgow Climate Pact. Space heating in the UK accounts for 42% of UK energy demand, and natural gas is used to provide more than 90% of this heating and cooling demand. De-carbonising heat, therefore, has the potential to make a huge impact on the UK’s net zero aspirations.
Over the past 25 years, research into geothermal energy extraction from low enthalpy (temperature) resources within the UK has been increasing year-on-year. Whilst historically the UK has only ever had one working low temperature deep geothermal system (Southampton), there is scope for geothermal energy to make a significant contribution to the UK energy portfolio. More recently, focus has fallen on the shallow (typically <500 m depth) geothermal systems associated with old, abandoned mine workings. Our understanding of these systems is incomplete in the same way we have limited knowledge of the deep (>500 m depth) subsurface, but what sets shallow resources apart from deeper resources is their accessibility. This talk aims to cover the background to geothermal heat generation, the key differences between shallow and deep low temperature geothermal resources, provide examples of deep low temperature resources in the UK and to showcase the work currently being completed by the University of Strathclyde and COWI to better characterise mine water geothermal resources.
View this talk in the Members’ Section.
