More than half of all energy used in Scotland goes towards heating, and it is also responsible for nearly half of the nation’s total greenhouse gas emissions.
Scots stump up as much as £2.6 billion every year to warm homes and businesses, with official figures suggesting that around 845,000 households suffer from fuel poverty.
Now, if a pioneering new scheme gets the go-ahead, around 700 households in one of Scotland’s most disadvantaged areas could benefit from a cheaper and greener source of warmth than they currently rely on.
And the secret lies in the legacy left behind from Scotland’s coal-mining past, according to experts.
In a joint effort with local councillors, scientists from the James Hutton Institute are exploring the possibility of creating a cutting-edge geothermal district heating system in North Lanarkshire by tapping the warmth of underground floodwater at the disused Kingshill Colliery at Allanton.
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