Sustainable Footprint

Power from Mine Water

World's first minewater power
Minewater08 explains how abandoned coalmines provide new sustainable resource

World’s first minewater power station to be opened in Heerlen
(see also the website minewaterproject)

The world’s first minewater power station is set to open in Heerlen on October 1st 2008. This purpose built power station is designed to use sustainable resources, as water from the abandoned mines below, to heat and cool over 200 homes, along with shops, a supermarket, a library and large office buildings. Estimated CO2 reduction: 55 per cent.

“We believe that the minewater power station, built by Weller Housing Association, will provide the proof that our concept works”, says Councillor Riet de Wit of the City of Heerlen. Since 2005 the City of Heerlen has been leading a team of 7 European partners aiming to prove that it is technically possible, economically viable and environmentally sound to extract geothermal energy from the water in former and closed mines on a large scale. The minewater concept is the brainchild of a City of Heerlen official. The Minewater Project has received strong support from the European Union.

Economically viable

To test the minewater concept, the City of Heerlen invested in drilling five wells to subtract minewater from mine galleries up to 700 metres below the Heerlen surface. In the meantime, Weller Housing Association took a chance and developed homes, commercial property and a library, featuring a heating and cooling system adapted to the minewater concept.

Last December, calculations indicated that minewater is indeed a long term economically viable resource, with energy rates not exceeding those of traditional energy sources.

Minewater08 conference

“During Minewater08, we want to share our story and encourage others to search for local sustainable energy resources”, according to Riet de Wit. “With the threat of global warming and soaring energy prices, nobody can afford to sit back. We have proven that a local initiative can provide a local solution for sustainable energy. Moreover, our concept can be adapted by former mining regions all over the world.”
Minewater08 will take place in Heerlen and Aachen on October 1st and 2nd, 2008. Keynote speakers include Prof. Günter Pauli, President of the Zero Emission Research Initiative (ZERI); Prof. Kjell Aleklett, President of Association for the Study of Peak Oil & Gas (ASPO) and Prof. Gudni Jóhannesson, Director general for the Icelandic National Energy Authority (Iceland).

Detailed information can be found on the conference website www.minewater08.eu.

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Sustainable Footprint

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