| Title | First operational assessment of a geothermal pilot system in one of Quebec’s active mines (Eastern Canada) |
|---|---|
| Authors | Emna Bouzaiene, Félix-Antoine Comeau, Jasmin Raymond |
| Year | 2026 |
| Conference | World Geothermal Congress |
| Keywords | |
| Abstract | Decarbonizing Canada’s mining sector has become a priority, as it remains a major consumer of fossil fuels and a significant emitter of greenhouse gases. One promising solution is to harness the geothermal resource of the large volumes of water continuously pumped from active underground workings. While this opportunity has been widely studied in abandoned mines with operational systems already in place worldwide, active mines remain largely unexplored. Few studies have assessed the available geothermal resources at operating sites, and no pilot system has yet been implemented to demonstrate the feasibility of this approach under real conditions. This research aims to validate the viability of a pilot-scale geothermal system installed at an active underground mine in Abitibi, a region in western Quebec with a rich mining history and world-class gold deposits. Operating in an open-loop configuration over several weeks, the system enables continuous monitoring of temperature and flow, providing data used to quantify the recoverable thermal energy and to assess the system’s seasonal heating and cooling capacity. This project goes beyond a basic field test. It will deliver the first real operational data on geothermal recovery from mine water in an active site. The findings will help demonstrate to mining operators that geothermal energy can reduce greenhouse gas emissions, lower energy costs, and transform mine water from an environmental liability into a valuable energy asset. Ultimately, this work aims to pave the way for integrating geothermal energy into the mining sector. |