SCOTLAND’S disused mines and its only metro system should be used to heat the country’s homes, according to a new report.
A paper from the Common Weal think tank has urged the Scottish Government to think big on geothermal heating – where heat trapped deep underground is reused in an environmentally-friendly way for use in buildings.
Using geothermal technology would be an “easy win” to revive shelved plans for a state-owned energy company while allowing Scotland to meet around 10% of its current electricity demand with the green technology, the paper said.
The document – co-authored by SNP MP Douglas Chapman, his parliamentary researcher Ali Anderson, former minister Alex Neil and Glasgow Caledonian University’s (GCU) Dr Keith Baker – said the wealth of disused mines in Scotland is ripe for use as a source of heat.
It also pointed to research carried out by GCU into using the city’s subway system for the same purpose.
Geothermal heating works by taking hot water from below ground and pumping it into the pipes of homes and other buildings. Water is warmed underground by hot rocks and the system can work on a loop with the waste water pumped back underground to be warmed up again.
A trial of geothermal heating was carried out by Glasgow Subway’s operator, the Strathclyde Partnership for Transport (SPT) in 2015.
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The study took the waste water running in the Victorian tunnels beneath the city and pumped it through the plumbing of its ticket offices to keep staff warm at work.
Common Weal’s paper said that “making a concerted effort to develop our geothermal sector should be an easy win”.
It said that the Coal Authority, which manages Britain’s mothballed coal mines, estimated there was around 7920 petajoules of heat stored in disused shafts. By comparison, natural gas – greener than oil and coal but still a source of CO2 – supplied 1080 petajoules for domestic heating in 2020, the paper said.
The paper said there was appetite across party lines in Westminster to roll out these kinds of schemes across Britain, with the Coal Authority in talks with the authorities in former mining towns in England to push ahead with similar plans.
Dr Baker, a research fellow in energy policy at GCU, said: “All that’s needed to get the domestic geothermal sector off the ground is to get the technology in the ground.
“The technology is proven, and the economics add up, so we only need the political will.
“Otherwise, we will continue to drag our heels while continuing to burn fossil gas and leaving households at the mercy of the international energy markets.”
Chapman (above), the SNP MP for Dunfermline, argued that geothermal heating could provide the key to tackling fuel poverty and provide a boost for the economy.
He said: “I believe the multiple crises we face on climate, the economy and social justice need to be dealt with head-on in a pragmatic and comprehensive fashion – getting geothermal off the ground through a rebooted National Energy Company means keeping local sources of energy for the benefit of local communities, truly tackling the scourge of fuel poverty in an energy-rich country, kickstarting job and reskilling opportunities, while addressing the climate crisis with a focus on the decarbonisation of heat.
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“For me, it’s about Scots as stakeholders and guardians of our natural resources, for the good of our people and for the good of the environment which I think matches our values and aspirations as a nation.”
Neil, who served as a Scottish Government minister for four years, said geothermal was the best way of reviving mothballed SNP plans for a state-owned energy company.
“This paper with the Common Weal outlines a practical and strategic approach for getting the hugely popular National Energy Company back on the table as a viable solution to managing our energy resources fairly and sustainably for our citizens,” he said.
The Scottish Government’s position on establishing a state-owned energy company is that it would only be possible if Scotland was an independent country.
Despite enjoying the enthusiastic backing of SNP members, plans for a nationally owned energy company were shelved in 2021.
A Scottish Government spokesperson said: “[Scotland's] Heat in Buildings Strategy commits to continuing to explore the potential which deep geothermal could have to make Scotland’s buildings easier and greener to heat in some communities and areas.
“The Scottish Government is working with partners to better understand Scotland’s deep geothermal resource and promote awareness of funding opportunities, access to sub-surface data and other support available.”
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