GreenJOBS

Former hard coal mines offer numerous opportunities for new and smart forms of reuse due to their size and diversity. They are often located close to city centres and are perfectly connected to the surrounding infrastructure. But how can these potentials be unlocked, particularly with regard to the use of renewable energy? How can new "green" jobs emerge on former mining sites where coal was once extracted? And how can circular economy technologies be applied to stimulate sustainable local economic development? These are the questions addressed by the research project "GreenJOBS - Leveraging the competitive advantages of end-of-life underground coal mines to maximise the creation of green and quality jobs."

The experts are examining a total of five competitive advantages of former colliery sites:

• Mine water as a geothermal resource
• Feeding electricity into the grid
• Large spoil heaps for the use of wind power and photovoltaic systems
• Underground infrastructure for disruptive pumped-storage hydropower systems based on high-density fluids
• Processing residues for use as high-density fluids, as soil substitutes for recultivation, and as a raw material source for rare earth element

The aim of the research project is to develop future scenarios for three model regions in Spain, Poland and Slovenia. The project partners are the University of Oviedo (Spain, coordinator), the Central Mining Institute (Polen), the Fundacion Asturiana De La Energia FAEN (Spain), Magellan & Barents, S.l. (Spain), Weglokoks (Poland), HUNOSA (Spain) and Premogovnik Velenje (Slovenia). The project is funded until 2025 by the Research Fund for Coal and Steel.