Mine Water Ruhr

Mine Water Ruhr

The project Grubenwasser Ruhr (Mine Water Ruhr) has set itself the goal to accelerate a climate-friendly energy supply in the Ruhr area through the use of heat from mine water. Existing heat resource potentials are primarily in frame for locations where mine water has to be drained permanently in the future.

The selection of potentially suitable mine water discharge points is carried out in particular on the basis of economic and ecological points of view, in order to lay the basis for investment planning and subsequent implementation at the individual sites. Here, in addition to the elaboration of the most useful perspectives for technical and planning solutions, the involvement and cooperation with the potential heat consumers on site play an especially important role for future success.

Figures: RAG Aktiengesellschaft – Aerial view (left), Volker Wiciok – Installation of submersible pump (right)

The ready-for-decision implementation concepts for the selected sites should be completed at the end of the first project phase which is ongoing from 2016 to 2018. Following this, the implementation and subsequent operation monitoring are planned.

The management and coordination of the project is carried out by the Chair of Energy Systems and Energy Economics at the University of Bochum (LEE). EPC is responsible for the strategic contact establishment and the permanent inclusion of potential heat consumers by means of appropriate participation formats. RAG AG as the site owner will provide the planning and technical work, while the DMT GmbH & Co. KG is responsible for the technical planning, together with LEE.