In a groundbreaking trial in Edinburgh, a heating system aims to harness waste heat from the University of Edinburgh’s Advanced Computing Facility to warm Scottish homes. The facility, hosting the UK’s national supercomputer, generates 70 GWh of excess heat annually, with projections reaching 272 GWh with the installation of the Exascale supercomputer. Through a £2.6 million feasibility study, researchers will explore the use of disused mines near the facility to store and distribute heat using heat pump technology, potentially offering a global blueprint for converting abandoned mines into underground heat storage systems. The success of the trial could revolutionize heating solutions for approximately seven million households located above abandoned mines in the UK.
The process involves augmenting the cooling of supercomputers to transfer captured heat into disused mine water, reaching a maximum temperature of 40°C. Natural groundwater flow in the mines would then transport the heat to homes via heat pump technology. If successful, this innovative approach could address the heating needs of around a quarter of UK homes situated above abandoned mines. The University of Edinburgh, the lead research partner, has secured £500k for the project, while an additional £1 million comes from the Scottish Enterprise through the Joint Programming Platform Smart Energy Systems (JPP SES) and Geothermica. The US Department of Energy has also allocated $1 million to fund researchers from institutions like the Idaho National Laboratory and Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory.
The trial not only represents a significant step in sustainable heating solutions but also highlights the potential for repurposing disused mines to store and distribute excess heat. The collaboration of various research partners, including the University College Dublin, funded by Geothermica, and the Geological Survey Ireland, emphasizes the global significance of this initiative. As the project unfolds, it could pave the way for an environmentally friendly and efficient heating system, offering a model that extends beyond Scotland to benefit millions of households worldwide located above abandoned mines.
