United Kingdom: Research Opportunity in Low Enthalpy Geothermal Heat Recovery and Storage in Abandoned Flooded Coal Mines

Research into Microbially Enhanced Mine Water Geothermal Energy (Aberystwyth University)

Aberystwyth University, Wales, UK. Department of Geography & Earth Sciences - Application Deadline: 18th August 2019

(Courtesy Study in Wales)

Low enthalpy geothermal heat recovery and storage in abandoned flooded coal mines is an area of increasing interest as we move towards decarbonised heating and energy systems in both domestic and industrial settings. Exothermic heat generating reactions between water, aqueous and gaseous phases, and mineral surfaces are often mediated by and accelerated due to microbial activity in
surface mine waste, but little is known about subsurface processes. We are looking for a highly motivated student to investigate the microbiology of heat generating biogeochemical reactions in subsurface mine water settings.

The project aims to provide the first assessment of the role of microbiology on mine water geothermal energy production and will investigate these mechanisms in the South Wales Coalfield where there are a number of mine water geothermal schemes in development.

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