A 7.2m-high drilling rig broke ground, marking the beginning of the 15-year research investment. Over the next 15 months, the drilling team will create 12 boreholes of various depths, which will enable research into Glasgow鈥檚 geology, its underground water systems and the potential for heat from the water in the city鈥檚 disused coal mines.
The UK Geoenergy Observatory for Glasgow is one of two sites in a 拢31m initiative commissioned by the Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) and operated by the British Geological Survey (BGS). Ramboll is supporting the BGS with multidisciplinary services through all phases of the project.
One of the key aims of the project is to find out whether there is a long-term sustainable mine water resource that could provide a low-cost, low-carbon heat source for homes and businesses.
Measurements will be taken, such as temperature, water movement and water chemistry. Environmental baseline monitoring of near-surface chemistry, gases and waters will also be measured.
鈥淐lean growth and innovation go hand in hand, so as part of our modern industrial strategy we鈥檙e investing 拢31 million into projects like this which could transform derelict coal mines into valuable low carbon sources of energy,鈥� said Lord Henley, the undersecretary of state at the UK government鈥檚 Department of Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy. 鈥淩eusing deep mineshafts could help to reinvigorate local economies, creating new high-skilled jobs and boosting supply chains in traditional mining communities."
Tracy Shimmield, co-director of the Lyell Centre, BGS Scotland said: 鈥淭he British Geological Survey will operate the Glasgow Geothermal Energy Research Field Site, which will enable the UK and countries around the world to better understand how our industrial legacies can be turned into renewable heat sources. 鈥淭he observatory will tell us how much heat is down there, whether it can be sustainably used and replenished, and if it could power homes, businesses or even entire cities. 鈥淭his is the first time that this part of the Earth will be monitored closely and consistently.鈥�
Professor Zoe Shipton, professor of geological engineering at the University of Strathclyde and chair of the UK Geoenergy Observatories science advisory group, said: 鈥淭he UK Geoenergy Observatories will build up a high-resolution picture of the underground system, providing a breakthrough in our understanding. This hasn鈥檛 been done anywhere else in the world. What we learn in Glasgow will lead the way in understanding how to balance our need for resources, with keeping people safe and protecting our environment.
The BGS will make data from the Glasgow observatory available online from 2019. 聽
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