WEBINAR, Tue 9 July | The potential of Geothermal in the UK: learnings from the North East
EXCLUSIVE WEBINAR HOSTED BY NET ZERO NORTH EAST ENGLAND, PARTNER OF NET ZERO WEEK.
Tuesday 9th July 2024, 13:00 – 14:30 BST.
Synopsis:
According to the Coal Authority, one quarter of the UK’s homes and businesses are sited on former coalfields. Since the cessation of mining much of the underground network of old mine workings has become filled with water which has been warmed by natural geothermal processes. The Coal Authority estimates that there is sufficient energy in this water to heat all of the homes on the coalfields. The exploitation of this resource – mine energy – would make a significant contribution to solving one of the most pressing low carbon challenges facing the country, namely the decarbonisation of heat.
Additionally, in France, Germany, Belgium, and the Netherlands, which have similar geology to the UK, deep geothermal energy has been shown to offer environmental, economic, and technical advantages, including reductions in greenhouse gas emissions, economic impetus, and job generation. With substantial carbon savings estimated, alongside significant co-benefits, the potential of this sector is hugely important in our energy transition.
The North East of England has pioneered many of these projects, but the sector still has significant potential to grow and develop. Join our panel of experts as they explore the untapped potential of geothermal energy and minewater heat in the UK, with a focus on groundbreaking projects and research from the North East.
Chair:
Dr Charlotte Adams, Director of the UK National Geothermal Centre
Charlotte’s interest in geothermal energy was sparked whilst working on disused mines. She has been active across the geothermal sector for over 20 years. Her mine heat work has featured on Country File, The One Show, ITV Tonight and Channel 4 news and she has received awards from the Geological Society and The Energy Institute for her work.
Speakers:
Dr Mark Ireland, Senior Lecturer in Energy Geoscience, Newcastle University
Mark’s work focuses on the decarbonisation of energy systems, specifically the role of geosciences in low-carbon energy systems and the use and application of seismic reflection data to understand geological processes. Having led geoscience projects across academia and industry, he is currently involved in a diverse range of applied research projects, spanning geothermal energy, energy storage, and carbon capture storage.
Belinda Humphrey, Energy Services Manager, Gateshead Council
Belinda leads multiple energy projects, including GB’s largest minewater heat network through Gateshead Energy Company, using water from flooded mines to heat homes and other buildings. She also leads on connections into new-build housing and a pilot scheme to connect in to existing low-rise housing, to accelerate the growth of heat networks and low-carbon solutions across a variety of tenures.
Chris Smith, Energy and Renewables Manager, Lanchester Wines
Chris recently joined Lanchester Wines after attaining his MSc in Renewable and Sustainable Energy Technologies for which Lanchester Wines was the subject of his dissertation. He is responsible for adopting heat pumps, amongst a wide range of other sustainable technologies, after the recent departure from the group by Adam Black (Energy Director) who played a key role in paving the way for minewater heating schemes in the UK.
See the full agenda for the three day online conference here.
