BENEATH THE SURFACE: UNLOCKING URBAN GEOTHERMAL POTENTIAL FROM LEGACY SUBSURFACE ASSETS

АУТОР(И) / AUTHOR(S): Chrysothemis Paraskevopoulou, Antonia Cornaro

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DOI:  10.46793/ACUUS2025.3.13.160

САЖЕТАК / ABSTRACT:

Urbanisation is accelerating at an unprecedented rate, with an estimated 70% of the global population expected to live in urban areas by 2050. This growth challenges cities to maintain liveability while meeting ambitious sustainability targets. Among the most pressing concerns is the decarbonisation of space heating, which accounts for approximately 18% of the UK’s total energy use. This paper explores how legacy underground structures—specifically disused coal mines and shallow aquifers—can be repurposed for sustainable geothermal energy, contributing to low-carbon urban heating systems. Drawing on two case studies in the Leeds region in the UK, the research presents a scalable framework for assessing the geothermal viability of subsurface environments. The first study investigates the feasibility of geothermal heat extraction from aquifers beneath the University of Leeds campus, using legacy hydrogeological data combined with thermal modelling. The second assesses the regional thermal potential of abandoned coal mine workings in the Pennine Coal Measures, leveraging historical mining records and borehole data to evaluate city-scale opportunities for minewater heating networks. The findings demonstrate that legacy data, when systematically integrated, can reveal untapped thermal resources that align with net-zero goals. The proposed methodology is transferable to other urban settings with similar geological and post-industrial contexts, offering a replicable model for sustainable underground energy planning.

КЉУЧНЕ РЕЧИ / KEYWORDS:

Subsurface sustainability, Urban sustainable heating, Legacy data reuse and analysis Aquifer thermal potential, Minewater heat recovery

ПРОЈЕКАТ / ACKNOWLEDGEMENT:

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