From coal to cabernet: the wine seller using a flooded mine to cut heating bills
Summary
Lanchester Wines in northeast England uses heat from a flooded, disused coalmine to keep its wine warehouses at the right temperature. This system lowers their heating bills by about 35% and reduces their use of fossil fuels.Key Facts
- Lanchester Wines stores thousands of vintage wines in warehouses in Gateshead.
- They pump warm water (about 19°C) from a flooded mine to heat their facilities.
- A heat pump increases the temperature before the heat is distributed inside.
- Using mine water heat helps keep wine at 8-10°C, ideal for storage.
- The company faced challenges like poorly located boreholes and negotiating agreements with the Mining Remediation Authority (MRA).
- A new deal with the MRA runs until 2044 and simplifies permission processes.
- The approach serves as an example for other businesses to use mine water heat in the UK.
- Technical issues include managing toxic gases and preventing corrosion from minerals in the mine water.
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