Turning closed coal mines into solar farms could power a country the size of Germany, report finds

Converting abandoned aliases soon-to-close ember mines into star farms could supply capable powerfulness to meet nan demands of a state nan size of Germany, according to a first-of-its-kind analysis. 

Researchers from Global Energy Monitor (GEM) person identified 312 aboveground ember mines that person been unopen since 2020, sprawling complete 2,089 quadrate kilometres (km²). 

Its Global Coal Mine Tracker (GCMT) finds that a further 3,731 km² of excavation onshore is group to beryllium abandoned by operators earlier nan extremity of 2030 arsenic reserves are tally down. 

In total, that intends an estimated 446 ember mines and 5,820 km² of abandoned onshore that could beryllium repurposed for star projects and make astir 300 GW of renewable energy. That’s a immense magnitude - balanced to astir 15 per cent of globally installed solar capacity today.

“The bequest of ember is written into nan land, but that bequest does not person to specify nan future,” says Cheng Cheng Wu, task head for nan Energy Transition Tracker astatine GEM. 

“The ember excavation to star modulation is underway, and this imaginable is fresh to beryllium unlocked successful awesome ember producers for illustration Australia, nan US, Indonesia and India,” Wu adds.

Where could ember mines beryllium converted?

China is presently starring nan battalion connected coal-to-solar projects. It has 90 specified conversions up and running, pinch a capacity of 14 GW, and 46 much projects successful nan pipeline. The adjacent 4 awesome ember producers supra clasp astir three-quarters of nan world imaginable for coal-to-solar transitions, nan analysts found.

In Europe, nan study singles retired Greece - which is “exceptionally well-suited” for turning aged ember mines into star plants.

An mean star imaginable of 4.45 kilowatts per quadrate metre (kW/m²), a fast-approaching ember phaseout extremity of 2026, and a supportive financing situation arsenic an EU personnel authorities each make Greece ripe for this transition.

In Western Macedonia successful bluish Greece, companies person already group to activity creating star parks successful nan boundaries of nan erstwhile Amynteo opencast lignite mine. And nan country’s EU-funded nationalist betterment scheme Greece 2.0 has group speech €175 cardinal to support much star projects successful Central Macedonia.

What are nan advantages of turning ember mines into star plants?

Given nan world extremity of tripling renewables capacity by 2030, derelict ember mines coming a sizable opportunity for nan cleanable power transition. But nan benefits don’t extremity there.

“Acquiring land for world renewable power targets has been rife pinch conflicts among stakeholders and decision-makers,” acknowledges Hailey Deres, interrogator astatine GEM. Developers are engaged exploring overlooked sites for panels - from roadsides to reservoirs and railway tracks - and aged ember mines are a peculiarly fitting location.

“So repurposing degraded lands could supply salient caller benefits to erstwhile ember communities crossed nan planet,” she continues.

“Repurposing mines for star improvement offers a uncommon chance to bring together onshore restoration, section occupation creation, and cleanable power deployment successful a azygous strategy,” adds Wu. 

“With nan correct choices, nan aforesaid crushed that powered nan business era tin thief powerfulness nan ambiance solutions we now urgently need.”

In total, nan analysts estimate that 259,700 imperishable jobs could beryllium created astatine coal-to-solar modulation sites, and different 317,500 impermanent and building jobs. That’s much than nan number of workers nan ember manufacture is expected to shed globally by 2035.

Old ember mines are often conscionable near arsenic a scar connected nan landscape, but this attack besides provides an economical inducement for reclamation and cleaning up nan messiness near aft mining.

“We’ve seen what happens successful ember communities erstwhile companies spell bankrupt, axe nan workers, and time off a messiness behind,” says Ryan Driskell Tate, subordinate head astatine GEM. 

“But mined-out coalfields harbour immense imaginable for powering a cleanable power future. It’s already happening. We conscionable request nan correct operation of incentives to put group to activity building nan adjacent procreation of star successful ember country.”