Friday, October 4, 2019

Canada: Using an Abandoned New Brunswick Mine for Geothermal District Heating

Geothermal Energy Could Spark Economic Development In Sussex Region (Huddle Today)

Officials in Sussex,  a town in Kings County, New Brunswick, Canada, say an abandoned potash mine near the town could become an exciting opportunity for the region’s economy.

A town-commissioned report has found “very real potential” to produce geothermal energy using water from the Penobsquis mine.

It comes more than three years after PotashCorp, now known as Nutrien, announced the closure of the mine.

The town says businesses like hatcheries or those that run greenhouses for everything from cannabis to hot house tomatoes would be among those to enjoy the biggest savings from a geothermal system. The energy savings could be in the neighbourhood of 40 – 60 per cent.

After modelling 20 geothermal scenarios, Wood Environment & Infrastructure Solutions of Fredericton determined an open-loop system has the most potential. In that process, water would be pumped to the surface, run through heat pumps to generate heating and cooling power, and then return below ground after use.