DC 15: Bringing abandoned coal mines back to life for heat decarbonization

Massive underground voids imply substantial thermal storage potential. Appropriate management of waste heat injection and absorption through their repurposing can deliver an inexhaustible heat supply. This project aims to unlock the energy performance of abandoned mines during their re-use for heat storage and exchange purposes.

1. Develop an exploratory thermo-hydro-geological (THG) model for abandoned coal mines.
2. Validate the model using existing datasets and case studies.
3. Perform long-term energy performance and optimization analysis using the validated model varying geological conditions, mine size, operation type, heat exchange level, waste heat supply/demand schedule.