Projects
Cape Breton Abandoned Coal Mines: Direct Heat Project
More than two centuries of coal mining in industrial Cape Breton have left an extensive network of underground workings and large areas of disused land. The underground workings are filling with groundwater, and the eastern section of the coalfield is presently flooded beneath the communities of Glace Bay, Dominion and Reserve Mines. This poses treatment and management issues, but it also presents major opportunities for geothermal heating and cooling; using the legacy of 200 years of coal mining to provide a clean renewable source of energy for the people of Cape Breton. The flooded mines contain 250 billion litres of water at an average temperature of 12ºC, which, using modern and highly efficient heat pump technology, represents enough energy to heat and cool every home and building in these three communities.
The corporation is currently working with the province, municipality, the Regional District Health Authority, and the private sector, to ensure that this occurs. Everyone is hopeful that 2009 will see the first of many mine water geothermal installations in Cape Breton. In coming years, mines under the communities of New Waterford, Sydney Mines and Florence will have access to the same resource and opportunities.
For more information contact:
WCB Case and Corporate Legacy Manager
Cape Breton Development Corporation
