tech
From coal to cabernet: the wine seller using a flooded mine to cut heating bills
Lanchester Wines in north-east England uses heat from a disused coalmine to maintain wine temperatures and with 23,000 flooded mines in the UK, there’s huge potential for more businesses and homes to follow its lead
TL;DR
- Lanchester Wines uses heat from a disused coalmine to store thousands of vintage wines at ideal temperatures (8-10C).
- The system pumps mine water (around 19C year-round), extracts heat, boosts it with a heat pump, and distributes it via pipes.
- This geothermal heat source reduces dependence on fossil fuels and has cut Lanchester Wines' heating bills by about 35%.
- A new, streamlined agreement with the Mining Remediation Authority simplifies accessing mine water heat and serves as a template for others.
- Technical challenges include potential release of toxic gases and corrosion/blockage from minerals in mine water.
- The UK has 23,000 flooded coalmines, offering significant potential for mine water heating for homes and businesses.
- Other examples of mine water heating schemes exist in Gateshead (UK), Heerlen (Netherlands), and Bad Ems (Germany).