DC 15: Bringing abandoned coal mines back to life for heat decarbonization

Doctoral Candidate

Subhashish Dey

Bio

Originally from Assam, in the northeastern corner of India, Subhashish has an academic background in geosciences and a strong interest in sustainable energy and subsurface technologies. Before joining the University of Edinburgh, he completed his MSc in Applied Geosciences at Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) in Germany, where he was awarded the Deutschlandstipendium for two consecutive years. During his time in Germany, he also gained professional experience through work with companies including GeoMecon and Herrenknecht, giving him exposure to applied geoscience and engineering projects alongside his academic training.

Beyond research, Subhashish has been actively involved in community and social initiatives. He is the founder of Friends For Floods, a volunteer-led initiative created to support communities affected by seasonal flooding in Assam. Through the initiative, he has worked with volunteers across different regions to organise relief and community support activities.

Outside academia, he enjoys travelling, cooking, playing the sitar, and learning about different cultures. He is particularly interested in combining scientific research with work that can create a meaningful impact on communities and society.

Host Institution
University of Edinburgh (United Kingdom)
Main Supervisor
Aim

Massive underground voids imply substantial thermal storage potential. Appropriate management of waste heat injection and absorption through their repurposing can deliver an inexhaustible heat supply. This project aims to unlock the energy performance of abandoned mines during their re-use for heat storage and exchange purposes.

Specific Objectives
  1. Develop an exploratory thermo-hydro-geological (THG) model for abandoned coal mines.
  2. Validate the model using existing datasets and case studies.
  3. Perform long-term energy performance and optimization analysis using the validated model varying geological conditions, mine size, operation type, heat exchange level, waste heat supply/demand schedule.
Secondment
  • British Geological Survey (United Kingdom)
  • TownRock Energy (United Kingdom)
  • University of Derby (United Kingdom)
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This project is funded by the European Union as part of the Horizon Europe programme, Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions Doctoral Networks (MSCA-DN) 2024 and under the Agreement number 101226708

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