Europe’s abandoned coal mines could power a solar energy revolution
A groundbreaking shift in energy production is underway as coal regions explore the potential of solar power. A recent study by the European Commission's Joint Research Centre (JRC) reveals that solar PV systems on post-mined land and rooftops in coal regions could generate electricity equivalent to all EU's coal and lignite-fired power plants combined.
Polish miner Zespół Elektrowni Pątnów-Adamów-Konin SA is leading the way by planning a large-scale PV plant at a depleted area of the Adamów brown coal mine. Meanwhile, energy giant Vattenfall is set to launch pilot projects deploying PV facilities on coal mining sites across Germany. These initiatives follow the discovery that RWE's lignite mines in Germany have solar potential to generate 12 TWh/year on surrounding land and almost 5 GW (5 TWh/year) within mined-out areas.
The JRC study finds that the technical potential of solar PV on degraded mine lands and within mine boundaries is 62.2 GW with an annual production of 72.2 TWh. In Greece, solar energy from several pits could generate over 11 TWh per year, potentially replacing the entire fleet of lignite plants supplying half of the country's electricity. Including roof-mounted PVs and available land, the full potential within the Coal Regions in Transition (CRiT) areas is 730.3 GW, contributing 874.3 TWh annually. The marginal costs of solar PV over 25 years are close to zero, with no emissions and low societal costs compared to coal. Examples of coal-to-PV operations already exist, such as a 16 MW solar park in Hungary on a lignite mine dump site and a 4 MW solar project in Germany on a former coal mine. Solar PV projects in CRiT areas have resulted in prices as low as USD 45/MWh (EUR 40/MWh) in Spain and up to USD 96/MWh (EUR 86/MWh) in Poland.
The transformation of coal regions into solar hubs is not only feasible but also promising. With minimal costs and significant environmental benefits, solar PV is emerging as a viable successor to coal power. As more projects like these come to fruition, the energy landscape of Europe is set to change dramatically.
