The next phase in energy evolution might be found in a region of the planet that you least expect. Buried under the traces of traditional mining might be a new way to approach renewable power. Coal mines that have since gone unused or abandoned might very well hide the secret to clean energy, and not a small amount either. Imagine nearly 300 gigawatts (GW) of potential solar capacity harvested from terrain that has since been left untouched.
Secrets from the abyss and the 300 GW they may hold
Mining has always been a strike-it-lucky field. It is the heart of capitalism. Companies will capitalize on a reef or a reservoir until they cannot any longer. But what if there was more to be gained at the time of stopping? This thought has sparked projects in certain parts of the world that could provide nearly 300 GW of potential solar photovoltaic capacity.
A move from black energy to bright fields is no longer just theory. These wouldn’t just be passive sources of power but would be able to be integrated into grids. A recycling of existing infrastructure would be more than feasible by converting degraded surfaces into productive sources of energy.
A coal mine in China might light the way to a bright future with 300 GW of power.
China is already leading the way, and when we refer to the “darkest places,” we mean coal mines. Yes, abandoned coal mines could be the newest sources of renewable energy, as ironic as that might sound. This could be an absolute game-changer that is gaining traction with policymakers who would like nothing more than to see communities ravaged by coal mining reclaim some of what that process has taxed them.
Surface mines are being focused on. Areas of land that have been stripped of vegetation, where darkness takes a literal and figurative hold of the surroundings. Installing panels where nothing can grow is almost poetic, as the sun’s giving rays could be harnessed in these forgotten expanses to provide a potential capacity of nearly 300 GW and possibly even more.
Reclaiming abandoned coal mines to make way for renewable energy supplies
The Global Energy Monitor (GEM) released a report in which it estimates that 312 coal mines have closed since 2020, with more slated to close by 2030, totaling 5,820 square kilometers of degraded land that could be suitable for solar repurposing. These abandoned coal mines are located within proximity of grid lines, which makes them prime real estate. In total, an estimated nearly 300 GW of photovoltaic solar potential could be unlocked — equivalent to 15% of the globally installed solar capacity.
The coal-to-solar conversion concept has already been implemented in China, with just over 90 coal mine solar projects in existence, yielding 14 GW, and 46 more projects with 9 GW in planning, while the next four major coal producers — Australia, the U.S., Indonesia and India — hold nearly three quarters of the global potential for coal-to-solar transitions. The proximity to grid lines and the prospect of restoring areas mauled by coal mining make this even more attractive, not to mention the jobs this could involve.
There is a set of obstacles to navigate, as soil and substrate in areas where coal mining was endured are often unstable and contaminated. This needs to be remedied before anything happens, along with water management, dust control, and the perilous issue of land rights.
Coal’s dark legacy to give way to a solar-powered future
The industrial era was once powered by combustion, and at its heart was coal. Those same coal mines could now usher in the next phase, but with renewable energy at the core. Nearly 300 GW of potential solar energy on abandoned coal mines seems like synchronicity at work, and hopefully, it will do what policymakers and advocates for solar power hope.
These relics of an age we are moving beyond, and the harshness of coal mining, could now represent renewal and not waste beyond the energy advantages this could bring. With the right policies and community-focused approach, these dark places could now be the hub of a glistening future.
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