Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of implementing a mine water heating grant scheme for community heat networks.

The water from coal mines shows good potential as a renewable source for heat networks.

The government’s capital schemes for heat network construction, the Heat Networks Investment Project and its successor, the Green Heat Network Fund, have supported heat networks that use mine water.

To date, the Gateshead District Energy Scheme and the Seaham Garden Village network in County Durham have both received funding.

The ninth application round of the Green Heat Network Fund is currently open and projects which aim to use mine water are welcome to apply.