A team at Caledonian University is working on a project that could see abandoned mines underneath Glasgow help to heat the city’s homes.

It is thought the geothermal power harnessed could generate up to 40% of the city’s heat.

Scientists at Caledonian have received funding from ScottishPower to map the maze of abandoned tunnels and identify underground reservoirs of water that have the potential to provide heat.

GCU’s Dr Nicholas Hytiris said special ground source heat pumps could be used to extract heat from the water. The extracted energy would then be used for the heating of homes or offices.

He said: "After Hamburg and Stockholm, Glasgow could be the third city in the world to have under street heating. In three years’ time we will have a full and accurate record of what is going on beneath our feet and then we can go on from there.

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"We believe this technology will in the long term be able to provide cheaper and more sustainable heating, which could be an answer to fuel poverty issues prevalent in many areas of Glasgow, particularly those with a mining past and a legacy of poor quality housing and high unemployment."

The project will initially focus on the Clyde Gateway regeneration area but will eventually encompass several other parts of Glasgow.

Derek Drummond, Sustainable Technology Manager at ScottishPower, said: "This is an excellent project that could prove to be very beneficial for the City and its residents, and we are pleased to be supporting the study. The initial work around the Clyde Gateway regeneration area should allow a good understanding of the technical challenges involved in capturing this energy, and how it could be applied to other areas. It is important that we can fully understand how this energy will integrate with the electricity network, and we look forward to seeing the study develop."

(IT)