Hot Horden mine water 'could be local power source'

The Horden project's team. Mine water is naturally heated by geothermal energy

Water collected from old coal mines could be used to generate power in a County Durham village.

Durham County Council (DCC) said it had secured a further £139,500 towards an ongoing project to repurpose mine water in Horden.

It will fund further studies into how realistic the geothermal energy scheme would be and how it would be managed.

The project is part of the council's plans to become carbon neutral - by reducing emissions - by 2045.

Last year it was announced that Durham County Council had secured a £110,000 grant to study the feasibility of using naturally generated heat from underground water.

In May experts completed the first stage of the viability study. Other schemes are being considered across the UK.

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Mine water is naturally heated by geothermal energy and can be stored in ponds and cleaned of iron deposits before being pumped out to sea.

Mark Wilkes, DCC's cabinet member for neighbourhoods and climate change, said it could be a way to provide "low-cost and low-carbon" heat to homes.

"This project has the potential to be a game-changer for Horden and the surrounding area, building on our housing and regeneration plans and providing much-needed employment.

"The Horden minewater project [is evidence that] that County Durham is [serious about its] commitment to tackling climate change and creating the green jobs of the future."

The scheme is being developed by the council alongside Horden Together, East Durham Trust and Horden Parish Council.

Graham Easterlow, chief executive of East Durham Trust, added it was "really exciting" and could be particularly beneficial to "high volume users" of heating, including schools and homes for older people.