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Friday, 30th November 2007 (4776 views)

A decommissioned gold mine in Yellowknife, the capital city of Canada's Northwest Territories, could have the potential to produce emission-free heat at low cost, Northern News Services reported.

Although the possibility of using the mine as a source of heat generation has been suggested since the late 1980s, it is only recently that the mine's potential as an alternative energy source has been taken seriously.

Some C$300,000 (£146,000) was invested in a feasibility study at the Con mine site last month, with funds supplied from the territorial and federal governments, as well as the Federation of Canadian Municipalities.

The study, which is expected to get underway in early 2008, will determine the geothermal potential of the mine and examine potential costs for different methods of extraction.

"We're literally sitting on a gold mine and we've just got to channel our resources and tap into it," said Don Tabor, chief administrative officer and town clerk in Yellowknife.

Other decommissioned mines in the country have been used as sources of energy-efficient heat for more than 20 years, including sites in the provinces of Nova Scotia and British Columbia.

 

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