Can heat stored within existing mine infrastructure be used to deliver flexibility to an energy system which is becoming more complex as it transition

Objective 1: Explore society's need for energy system flexibility, the function of heat within this and the delivery roles for relevant actors within a future low carbon energy system. Issues to be addressed include:

* The current state of the energy system (particularly with regard to heat production and use) and the transition to a low carbon future
* Demand for services provided by the energy system (eg comfort, mobility, lighting) and the way these change across cultures and time as social practices change
* Complexity and the flexibility required within a changing energy system - use established descriptive and modelling techniques - identify the interactions that occur and the socio-technical solutions needed to enable these (eg digitalisation, energy storage)
* The role of concepts such as decentralisation and democratisation This analysis will be used to identify and justify a more specific focus for the rest of the project. Objective 2: Understand the full range of low carbon energy 'opportunities' presented by use of existing mine infrastructure as both source and storage for heat, and explore where and how it can be used to deliver energy system flexibility.

Issues to be addressed include:
* What is the infrastructure and how could it be used (heat recovery, energy storage, etc)?
* What capacity for heat delivery and/or energy flexibility could this infrastructure provide?
* What are the practical implications of accessing these resources?
* What are the social, economic and technical aspects of the associated business models?
* What are the barriers/risks and who perceives them?
* Where (geographically) are the opportunities (mines and consumers)?

Objective 3: Analyse and compare the opportunities and barriers for three locations in the UK as case studies for the potential adoption of coal mine heat applications. Issues to be addressed include:

* Detailed descriptions of case study locations: - Neath Port Talbot: ambitious energy strategy; creating 'multi-vector' low carbon energy solutions; some empirical data from studies of local mine infrastructure as a heat resource - Nottingham: ambitious energy strategy; established and growing district heating system; local history of coal mining (creating potential resource) - Sheffield: reactive energy strategy; existing and well-developed district heating system with incumbents; local history of coal mining (creating potential resource)
* A series of location specific investigations (more explicitly defined by the outputs of research delivered in response to Objectives 1 and 2): - multi-criteria analysis exploring the range of economic, social, environmental and other factors affecting the potential for utilising coal mine heat locally - establish the potential for delivering local system flexibility through the adoption of coal mine heat solutions - socio-technical assessments of the complex transition pathways through which coal mine heat applications may become viable - use innovative engagement techniques (with actors such as Local Authorities and supply chain companies) for exploring the commercial application and governance implications of coal mine heat as part of future place-specific low carbon energy systems
* Use of the above investigations to construct locally relevant business model options for the commercial exploitation of heat stored in mine water at each location

The proposed Centre will benefit the following groups

1. Students - develop their professional skills, a broad technical and societal knowledge of the sector and a wider appreciation of the role decarbonised fuel systems will play in the UK and internationally. They will develop a strong network of peers who they can draw on in their professional careers. We will continue to offer our training to other Research Council PhD students and cross-fertilise our training with that offered under other CDT programmes, and similar initiatives where that develops mutual benefit. We will further enhance this offering by encouraging industrialists to undertake some of our training as Professional Development ensuring a broadening of the training cohort beyond academe. Students will be very employable due to their knowledge, skills and broad industrial understanding.
2. Industrial partners - Companies identify research priorities that underpin their long-term business goals and can access state of the art facilities within the HEIs involved to support that research. They do not need to pre-define the scope of their work at the outset, so that the Centre can remain responsive to their developing research needs. They may develop new products, services or models and have access to a potential employee cohort, with an advanced skill base. We have already established a track record in our predecessor CDTs, with graduates now acting as research managers and project supervisors within industry
3. Academic partners - accelerating research within the Energy research community in each HEI. We will develop the next generation of researchers and research leaders with a broader perspective than traditional PhD research and create a bedrock of research expertise within each HEI, developing supervisory skills across a broad range of topics and faculties and supporting HEIs' goals of high quality publications leading to research impacts and an informed group of educators within each HEI. .
4. Government and regulators - we will liaise with national and regional regulators and policy makers. We will conduct research directly aligned with the Government's Clean Growth Strategy, Mission Innovation and with the Industrial Strategy Challenge Fund's theme Prosper from the Energy Revolution, to help meet emission, energy security and affordability targets and we will seek to inform developing energy policy through new findings and impartial scientific advice. We will help to provide the skills base and future innovators to enable growth in the decarbonised energy sector.
5. Wider society and the publics - developing technologies to reduce carbon emissions and reduce the cost of a transition to a low carbon economy. Need to ascertain the publics' views on the proposed new technologies to ensure we are aligned with their views and that there will be general acceptance of the new technologies. Public engagement will be a two-way conversation where researchers will listen to the views of different publics, acknowledging that there are many publics and not just one uniform group. We will actively engage with public from including schools, our local communities and the 'interested' public, seeking to be honest providers of unbiased technical information in a way that is correct yet accessible.