HT-MTES: Seasonal heat storage in abandoned coal mine

Abstract

At the end of 2018, the last operative coal mine in Germany, which is Prosper-Haniel, is going to be closed down, plugged and abandoned. Large amounts of subsurface infrastructure, resembled mainly by open parts of former galleries and mining faces are going to be flooded after the mine is closed down and therefore have the potential to become an enormous geothermal reservoir for seasonal heat storage. During the summer non used heat from solar thermal power plants, garbage incineration, combined heat and power (CHP) plants or industrial production processes can be stored within dedicated drifts of the mine. During the winter season this surplus heat can be extracted and directly utilized in single construction complexes and in city areas, which are not connected to the existing district heating grid. The development and advancement of innovative (underground) storage technologies is identified as one of the central key technologies, which are necessary to enhance the utilization of renewable energy sources in Germany and worldwide.