Sector - Public Sector

Seaham Garden Village heated by geothermal network

12 Feb 20

Sustainable communities in Britain are about to achieve a new level of innovation, as the Seaham Garden Village in County Durham, closely attached to the Seaham coastal village, is set to be heated by geothermal energy that is extracted from the abandoned Dawdon mine network.

Going into more detail, the Seaham Garden Village in itself is set to consist of approximately 750 affordable homes, 750 private homes, schools, shops, and a medical and innovation hub in the village centre, with the village also being situated close to a supermarket and commercial developments.

Powering this settlement therefore presents no easy task, but the Durham County Council, the Coal Authority, and the North Eastern contractor company Tolent Construction have come up with an innovative solution in utilising geothermally heated mine water to heat the entire village.

The Head of Innovation at the Coal Authority, Jeremy Crooks stated: “Heat from abandoned coal mines is an innovative and practical solution to one of the big challenges facing the economy, decarbonising our heating supplies.

“There would be wider benefits to this sustainable energy source too, as it would also attract new investment, create employment, and deliver lower fuel bills to Seaham Garden Village and to other district heating schemes to be built on the coalfields.

“Water in the mines is heated by geological processes and remains stable year-round. This constantly renewing available, zero-carbon heat resource, can be transferred to a pipe network using a heat exchanger and distributed to nearby homes, and the Seaham Garden Village development will be the first working example of this network.

“The construction of Seaham Garden Village has huge implications for the future of energy in the UK and could lead to the building of district heating schemes, heated commercial spaces, and undercover horticultural facilities in coalfield areas.

“This breakthrough is also important when we consider the impact of climate change, and the steps the UK is taking in order to reduce its carbon footprint as we move into an era of climate change awareness.

“The Coal Authority is using its extensive expertise in managing mines and working with a range of partners to make these ideas a reality.

“There is an irony in that that Britain’s coal mines could form a part of an important green solution to resolving the country’s future energy crisis.”