Disused mines in Caerau in Llynfi Valley, Wales could be given a new lease of life and what’s more without a pick in sight. For instead of coal, it is the water in the old underground mines that has caught the attention of Bridgend County Council. A study is looking into using the water in the mines as a source of geo thermal energy, which could provide cheap heat for up to 1,000 homes in the county. Here’s how it would work. With an average temperature of between 10 and 14 degrees, water filling the mines would be transported to buildings in the area via a network of pipes. The heat would then be extracted from the water and used in radiators to warm up homes. Under the plans no mine water would enter the homes, just heat. As Councillor Ceri Reeves said “The council has commissioned a detailed ground condition survey to ascertain whether the water held in the mine workings under Caerau provides a natural heat source which could provide safe, continuous, and cost effective heat for a large number of local homes.” Forget about sitting on an old coal mine, sounds like the Council could be sitting on a gold mine.
