Germany:

Ruhr Area Town Gets Thermal Heat from Pit Water (BINE Information)

The structure of the system employed
for the thermal use of pit water.
(Courtesy Stadtwerke Bochum Holding GmbH)

Coal mining company RAG AG, formerly Ruhrkohle AG, annually pumps over 100 million cubic meters of water to the surface from a depth of up to 1,000 m to secure the stability of the ground and the safety of drinking water in former mining regions. For one year now, the municipal utility of Bochum has been heating several public buildings with that pit water. The pilot project demonstrates how to use old mines for an eco-friendly heat supply of surrounding buildings.

Pit water, up to 50 °C hot, will be pumped up through former mines for safety reasons. In a pilot project, the municipal utility of Bochum demonstrates how pit water can be used for geothermal applications. A primary school, a comprehensive school with a canteen and a swimming pool and the main fire station of Bochum are being supplied with heat based on this energy source since the autumn of 2012. The fuel requirement of the existing buildings is to be reduced by approximately 1,200 MWh per year along with 245 tonnes of saved carbon dioxide emissions. 35 % of the total heat demand is covered by pit water.

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