Lanchester Wines in northeast England is using heat from a disused, flooded coalmine to maintain ideal storage temperatures for thousands of wine vintages. The system, which extracts heat from mine water sitting at around 19C, has cut the company's heating bills by an estimated 35%.
This initiative demonstrates a practical and cost-effective method for businesses to reduce reliance on fossil fuels and lower heating expenses by leveraging existing subterranean heat sources, contributing to energy transition goals.
Lanchester Wines, a wine seller in northeast England, has been utilizing heat from a disused, flooded coalmine to regulate temperatures in its warehouses for the past eight winters. This innovative approach helps maintain ideal storage conditions for thousands of wine vintages, preventing freezing or spoilage.
The company's system pumps out mine water, which sits at a consistent 19C year-round, extracts its heat, boosts it using a heat pump, and then distributes it through pipes to its facilities in Gateshead. This method has reportedly cut Lanchester Wines' heating bills by approximately 35%.
While few companies utilize geothermal heat from flooded mines, Lanchester Wines hopes its experience can guide others. The company faced challenges, including poorly located boreholes and complex previous agreements with the Mining Remediation Authority (MRA). However, a newly renegotiated, streamlined deal with the MRA, valid until 2044, has eased access and serves as a template for similar projects across the UK.
Technical hurdles such as potential toxic gas release and mineral-induced corrosion in mine water systems exist. Nevertheless, the relatively high temperatures of mine water make it an attractive geothermal option. With an estimated 23,000 flooded coalmines in the UK, a significant portion of homes and businesses are situated above or near these potential heat sources.
Similar mine water heating networks are operational in Europe, including a large one in northeast England supplying various institutions and homes, and schemes in Heerlen, Netherlands, and Bad Ems, Germany. Experts note that Lanchester Wines' system demonstrates the viability of mine water heating under UK conditions.