| Title | From Gold to Heat: Unlocking Québec’s Mining Legacy through Geothermal Energy |
|---|---|
| Authors | Félix-Antoine Comeau, Jasmin Raymond |
| Year | 2026 |
| Conference | World Geothermal Congress |
| Keywords | |
| Abstract | Home to one of the world’s most geologically diverse mining sectors, Québec (Eastern Canada) has a long history of extracting gold, copper, nickel, zinc, iron, asbestos, and more recently, lithium and rare earth elements. This legacy has left behind over 1,300 closed mines across the province. While many of these sites were once considered environmental and economic burdens, they are now being re-evaluated as untapped sources of clean energy. Over the past decade, INRS has advanced methods to evaluate the geothermal potential of abandoned and flooded mines. This work has refined how we estimate not only the volume and temperature of mine water, but also the contribution of surrounding rock mass to long-term heat exchange. The 9 gigantic open-pit mines in the Thetford Mines area show strong potential for heating agricultural greenhouses or cooling data centres. In the Abitibi and James Bay regions, 143 flooded underground mines could eventually supply thermal energy to homes or small industries via district heating. Québec’s unique context, with its cold climate, energy-intensive economy, and a strong desire from municipalities and mining companies to repurpose idle lands, makes it an ideal setting to deploy this technology. Former mining sites may now offer low-carbon energy solutions that align with both environmental and economic goals, though finding nearby users remains a challenge. This presentation outlines the current state of knowledge and tools developed to assess this resource, paving the way for its rapid development and integration into Québec’s clean energy future. |