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Euronews
3 days ago
- Business
- Euronews
Report reveals huge solar power potential of abandoned coal mines
Converting abandoned or soon-to-close coal mines into solar farms could provide enough power to meet the demands of a country the size of Germany, according to a first-of-its-kind analysis. Researchers from Global Energy Monitor (GEM) have identified 312 surface coal mines that have been shut since 2020, sprawling over 2,089 square kilometres (km²). Its Global Coal Mine Tracker (GCMT) finds that a further 3,731 km² of mine land is set to be abandoned by operators before the end of 2030 as reserves are run down. In total, that means an estimated 446 coal mines and 5,820 km² of abandoned land that could be repurposed for solar projects and generate nearly 300 GW of renewable energy. That's a huge amount - equivalent to around 15 per cent of globally installed solar capacity today. 'The legacy of coal is written into the land, but that legacy does not have to define the future,' says Cheng Cheng Wu, project manager for the Energy Transition Tracker at GEM. 'The coal mine to solar transition is underway, and this potential is ready to be unlocked in major coal producers like Australia, the US, Indonesia and India,' Wu adds. China is currently leading the pack on coal-to-solar projects. It has 90 such conversions up and running, with a capacity of 14 GW, and 46 more projects in the pipeline. The next four major coal producers above hold nearly three-quarters of the global potential for coal-to-solar transitions, the analysts found. In Europe, the report singles out Greece - which is 'exceptionally well-suited' for turning old coal mines into solar plants. An average solar potential of 4.45 kilowatts per square meter (kW/m²), a fast-approaching coal phaseout goal of 2026, and a supportive financing environment as an EU member state all make Greece ripe for this transition. In Western Macedonia in northern Greece, companies have already set to work creating solar parks in the boundaries of the former Amynteo opencast lignite mine. And the country's EU-funded national recovery plan Greece 2.0 has set aside €175 million to support more solar projects in Central Macedonia. Given the global goal of tripling renewables capacity by 2030, derelict coal mines present a sizable opportunity for the clean energy transition. But the benefits don't stop there. 'Acquiring land for global renewable energy targets has been rife with conflicts among stakeholders and decision-makers,' acknowledges Hailey Deres, researcher at GEM. Developers are busy exploring overlooked sites for panels - from roadsides to reservoirs and railway tracks - and old coal mines are a particularly fitting location. 'So repurposing degraded lands could provide salient new benefits to former coal communities across the planet,' she continues. 'Repurposing mines for solar development offers a rare chance to bring together land restoration, local job creation, and clean energy deployment in a single strategy,' adds Wu. 'With the right choices, the same ground that powered the industrial era can help power the climate solutions we now urgently need.' In total, the analysts estimate that 259,700 permanent jobs could be created at coal-to-solar transition sites, and another 317,500 temporary and construction jobs. That's more than the number of workers the coal industry is expected to shed globally by 2035. Old coal mines are often just left as a scar on the landscape, but this approach also provides an economic incentive for reclamation and cleaning up the mess left after mining. 'We've seen what happens in coal communities when companies go bankrupt, axe the workers, and leave a mess behind,' says Ryan Driskell Tate, associate director at GEM. 'But mined-out coalfields harbour huge potential for powering a clean energy future. It's already happening. We just need the right mix of incentives to put people to work building the next generation of solar in coal country.'
Time of India
4 days ago
- Business
- Time of India
Closed coal mines to solar: Can boost global capacity by 15%; India ranks 4th, sites in five states
BATHINDA: Coal mines that have been abandoned or will be closed by the end of this decade hold enough potential photovoltaic (PV) solar capacity, finds a new report from Global Energy Monitor (GEM), a dataset of utility-scale solar photovoltaic (PV) and solar thermal facilities, released early Wednesday. The first-of-its-kind analysis draws on data in the Global Coal Mine Tracker, a dataset of coal mines, to identify 312 surface coal mines that have been idled and degraded since 2020. These abandoned mines sprawl over 2,089 square kilometres (km²). With repurposing, these coal-to-solar projects could site 103 gigawatts (GW) of solar power capacity on derelict lands. The analysis further identifies 3,731 km² of mine land that may be abandoned by operators before the end of 2030, owing to the depletion of reserves and the reported life of the mine. If those operations close, they could site an additional 185 GW of solar power capacity. In total, an estimated 446 coal mines and 5,820 km² of abandoned mine lands could be suitable for solar repurposing. With development, those projects could harbor nearly 300 GW of photovoltaic solar potential, equivalent to 15% of the globally installed solar capacity. India ranked fourth after Australia, Indonesia, USA, where estimated solar potential of 27.11 GW from 63 coalmines with land area 546.76 square km has been found. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like ¿Padece una enfermedad renal crónica (ERC)? Trialbee Más información Undo These mines are in Jharkhand, MP, Chhattisgarh, Odisha, Telangana. The new data on coal-to-solar projects shows that China has 90 operational coal mine-to-solar conversions, with a capacity of 14 GW, and 46 more projects, with 9 GW, in planning, while the next four major coal producers — Australia, the US, Indonesia and India— have nearly three quarters of the global potential for coal to solar transitions. Not only would this conversion help the world towards the global goal of tripling renewables capacity by the end of the decade, but it would also provide an economic incentive for reclamation and cleaning up the mess left after mining, which is not standard routine in much of the world. The report estimates 259,700 permanent jobs could be created at coal-to-solar transition sites, and another 317,500 temporary and construction jobs, more than the number of workers that the coal industry is expected to shed globally by 2035. The greatest potential for solar redevelopment on mine lands is found in some of the world's largest coal-producing countries — Australia, Indonesia, the United States, and India. Cheng Cheng Wu, Project Manager for the Energy Transition Tracker at Global Energy Monitor, said, 'The legacy of coal is written into the land, but that legacy does not have to define the future. The coal mine to solar transition is underway, and this potential is ready to be unlocked in major coal producers like Australia, the U.S., Indonesia and India. Repurposing mines for solar development offers a rare chance to bring together land restoration, local job creation, and clean energy deployment in a single strategy. With the right choices, the same ground that powered the industrial era can help power the climate solutions we now urgently need.' Hailey Deres, Researcher at Global Energy Monitor, said 'Acquiring land for global renewable energy targets has been rife with conflicts among stakeholders and decision-makers, so repurposing degraded lands could provide salient new benefits to former coal communities across the planet.' Ryan Driskell Tate, Associate Director at Global Energy Monitor, said 'We've seen what happens in coal communities when companies go bankrupt, axe the workers, and leave a mess behind. But mined-out coalfields harbor huge potential for powering a clean energy future. It's already happening. We just need the right mix of incentives to put people to work building the next generation of solar in coal country.'
The Guardian
4 days ago
- Business
- The Guardian
Turning coalmines into solar energy plants ‘could add 300GW of renewables by 2030'
Turning recently closed coalmines into solar energy plants could add almost 300GW of renewable energy by 2030, converting derelict wastelands to productive use, according to a new report. In a first of its kind analysis, researchers from Global Energy Monitor (GEM) identified 312 surface coalmines closed since 2020 around the world, and 134 likely to close by the end of the decade, together covering 5,820 sq km (2,250 sq miles) – a land area nearly the size of Palestine. Strip mining turns terrains into wastelands, polluted and denuded of topsoil. But if they were filled with solar panels and developed into energy plants, the report claims, they could generate enough energy to power as big and power hungry a nation as Germany. Cheng Cheng Wu, the project manager for the energy transition tracker at GEM, said: 'The legacy of coal is written into the land, but that legacy does not have to define the future. The coalmine to solar transition is under way, and this potential is ready to be unlocked in major coal producers like Australia, the US, Indonesia and India. 'Repurposing mines for solar development offers a rare chance to bring together land restoration, local job creation, and clean energy deployment in a single strategy. With the right choices, the same ground that powered the industrial era can help power the climate solutions we now urgently need.' Once lauded as exploiting the 'buried sunshine' of the past, burning coal for energy is gradually being phased out around the world because of its high carbon emissions. At the same time, solar energy has become more accessible and affordable. In 2024, 599GW of solar energy capacity was installed around the world, and there are more than 2,000GW of utility scale solar projects in development, GEM said. Globally, the total installed photovoltaic capacity late last year surpassed 2TW (terawatts), according to the Global Solar Council. But the need for space to lay out sufficient solar panels has led to land use conflicts, with the farming and nature conservation lobbies – among others – objecting to solar developments. Using mined-out lands could be a partial solution to such conflicts, GEM says, adding that such sites were already primed for development, with 96% of recently abandoned mines less than 10km from an electricity grid. It would also mitigate unemployment crises in former coal communities, such as those in many parts of the UK when the government shut down the country's coal industry in the 1980s. Sign up to Down to Earth The planet's most important stories. Get all the week's environment news - the good, the bad and the essential after newsletter promotion GEM estimates that 259,700 permanent jobs in manufacturing, wholesale trade and distribution, and professional services could be created at coal-to-solar transition sites, and an additional 317,500 temporary and construction jobs – together, more than the number of workers the coal industry will shed by 2035. Ryan Driskell Tate, an associate director at GEM, said: 'We've seen what happens in coal communities when companies go bankrupt, axe the workers, and leave a mess behind. But mined-out coalfields harbour huge potential for powering a clean energy future. 'It's already happening. We just need the right mix of incentives to put people to work building the next generation of solar in coal country.'
