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The Municipality of Cumberland is looking to attract interest in using geothermal energy from Springhill’s abandoned mines as a provincially funded research project comes to a close. <\/p>\n
A geothermal technical co-ordinator was hired for a one-year contract in April 2023 with funding extended to April 2026, according to a statement from the Department of Energy.<\/p>\n
The co-ordinator researched the geothermal energy potential in Springhill, N.S.<\/a> <\/p>\n The town\u2019s abandoned coal mines were flooded with water\u00a0that’s naturally heated by the Earth’s core. That source of geothermal energy has been used for heating and cooling at the community centre, part of the Nova Scotia Community College campus, a fire hall and area businesses.\u00a0 <\/p>\n \u201cWe wish that funding continued, but it hasn’t,\u201d chief administrative officer Greg Herrett told CBC News.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cWe continue to now look for a commercially viable application for the resource whether that’s a greenhouse or it’s something else,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n Geothermal greenhouse <\/p>\n A report presented to Cumberland council earlier this year discussed the potential for retrofits to buildings and a commercial geothermal greenhouse in Springhill. The research found an 1,100-square-metre greenhouse heated by geothermal would lead to a 67 per cent energy savings \u2014 about $51,000 annually \u2014 compared to electric boilers.<\/p>\n \u201cA mine water geothermal greenhouse in the community of Springhill would represent a modern pilot project that has the potential for being a catalyst for additional mine water geothermal development,\u201d said the report provided to CBC News.\u00a0<\/p>\n Herrett said the municipality has no plans to own the greenhouse, rather staff are working to attract business interest.<\/p>\n Tory Rushton, the MLA for Cumberland South and former natural resources minister, said the co-ordinator position was never intended to be permanent, but provided important information.<\/p>\n “It’s valuable information that any proponent will be able to utilize … There’s actually real live information that’s available now about the mine water, the temperatures and the actual capability,” Rushton said in an interview, adding that a greenhouse is just one option. <\/p>\n The MLA sits on a committee looking for ways to utilize the area’s geothermal energy. The committee includes the province, NSCC and Municipality of Cumberland.<\/p>\n \u201cEvery time that we hear the premier talk about renewable energy or renewable resources, quite often and, quite frankly, a large percentage of the time, geothermal is part of that conversation,\u201d said Rushton.\u00a0<\/p>\n The Houston government is promoting resource development<\/a>, including onshore natural gas and offshore wind energy, to boost the province’s finances, which hit a record deficit of $1.2 billion<\/a>.<\/p>\n Geothermal support<\/p>\n