Cwestiwn ysgrifenedig WQ96738

In July 2024 we published the Heat Strategy for Wales which set out a long-term vision to decarbonise heat in Wales. It identified mine water from abandoned mines as a potential low carbon renewable heat source. As part of that work we commissioned the Mining Remediation Authority (previously Coal Authority) to investigate the heat potential from Wales’s disused mines, and to produce a mine water heat opportunity map to inform local authorities and developers of the opportunities and potential locations for mine water heat scheme sites.

This mapping work has encouraged local authorities and developers to investigate potential projects where there is a heat demand close to a mine heat source.

I visited a site on June 26th where a heat pump installer has taken the initiative to work with the Mining Remediation Authority to install a heat pump system and utilise heat from a nearby water treatment plant at the disused Lindsay mine in Ammanford. A heat exchanger connected to a heat pump now provides low carbon heat and hot water to an industrial building owned by Thermal Earth.

We continue to work closely with the Mining Remediation Authority who are scoping other projects with local authorities at sites that show potential to utilise mine water as a low carbon heat source.