Laboratory Details

UK Geoenergy Observatory in Glasgow

In the UK, a network of observatories is being established to deliver essential new data from the subsurface . The scientific data can help us to understand how geothermal energy, hydrogen, carbon capture and storage, and storage solutions for wind, solar and tidal energy can reduce our carbon emissions. Each observatory delivers a different body of knowledge.

The UK Geoenergy Observatory in Glasgow provides scientists with world-class, at scale facilities for research and innovation into subsurface mine-water thermal energy transfer and storage.

The Glasgow Observatory features 12 boreholes which penetrate flooded mine workings, bedrock and superficial deposits at depths of 16–199 m. There are two abstraction boreholes and two re-injection boreholes which penetrate mineworkings at two different levels. The boreholes are connected by buried uninsulated pipework which forms part of the overall geothermal configuration. A small heat centre contains three different types of heat exchanger. The heat transferred from the minewater to the secondary glycol loop is passed through a reversible heat-pump/chiller. The system can be operated in reverse to add heat into the mine water. The lack of an end user enables researchers to run various experiments without the worry of needing a constant heat supply.

The geothermal configuration enables research into hydrogeological/geological processes such as the movement of the water through the mines, resource size and sustainability, thermal variations and any observable changes in the chemistry or microbiological properties of the subsurface. The Observatory also offers opportunity to understand engineering related uncertainties including heat losses in pipes and COP of the heat exchangers.

The environmental monitoring boreholes targeting both the superficial deposits and the bedrock provide ongoing information about environmental changes in the area through the use of downhole data loggers measuring temperature, conductivity and pressure . A suite of sensors installed at the surface provide further data about air quality, groundwater, seismicity, pressure, temperature, heat flow, tilting, strain accumulation, fluid chemistry, physical and biological properties.

The observatory’s unique set up has been designed to be flexible to enable testing, monitoring and model validation, and to create perturbations of flow and heat from the natural baseline. It provides evidence to understand how to balance our need for resources with keeping people safe and protecting our environment.

The long design life (15+ years) and high resolution monitoring systems will provide unprecedented insights into how thermal energy technologies can be developed for optimal performance and sustainable operation.

The Observatories are open to public and private sectors and academic organisations in the UK and abroad to carry out research to better characterise the subsurface energy environment, and develop new technologies design to extract or store energy. Researchers should contact ukgeosenquiries@bgs.ac.uk in the first instance to discuss their ideas.

In addition to using the Observatory there is a large amount of Open data available via the link: https://ukgeos.ac.uk/data-downloads. The data is available in a range of formats: maps, core scans, live data and raw data downloads for researchers to do their own analysis.