Midlothian mines to heat homes

Vattenfall Heat UK and Midlothian Council have launched a joint venture, Midlothian Energy Limited, which is set to provide low carbon heating to approximately 3,000 homes in the former coal mining region of Midlothian.

The heating network will be powered by waste heat from the Millerhill Recycling and Energy Recovery Centre.

Plans for expansion include utilising other waste heat sources, such as mine workings, to offer sustainable heating solutions to more homes and businesses, aligning with Scotland's net zero targets.

Jenny Curtis, Managing Director at Vattenfall Heat UK said: "Without the rapid deployment of heat networks at scale it is simply not possible for Scotland to reach its ambitious net zero by 2045 targets.

"Using waste heat from sources like energy from waste plants and mine workings is a no-brainer. The heat is already there, all we need is the urgent deployment of low carbon heating infrastructure to capture it and supply it to local residents and businesses."