One year after its launch, the UK’s first mine water heat Living Laboratory in Gateshead is attracting growing international attention, with researchers from Europe and the United States engaging with the project to explore how real-world mine water data could help accelerate low-carbon heat solutions.
The open-access Living Lab, led by the Mining Remediation Authority, monitors interactions between three operational mine water heat schemes in the North East of England, including Gateshead Energy Company’s mine water heat network and another privately funded scheme nearby at Lanchester Wines warehouses, News Cover reports, citing the UK government.
Over its first year, the project has generated thousands of hours of thermal, hydrological and geophysical data, rapidly establishing itself as a valuable research asset for scientists, engineers, policymakers, developers and energy operators.
Researchers from Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory – managed by the University of California for the US Department of Energy’s Office of Science – are among those engaging with the Living Lab, highlighting its relevance beyond the UK and its potential contribution to global geothermal research Gateshead mine water heat living laboratory - data.gov.uk.
