{"id":6355,"date":"2025-10-28T07:48:33","date_gmt":"2025-10-28T07:48:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.bgs.ac.uk\/groundwater\/?page_id=6355"},"modified":"2026-05-08T11:18:13","modified_gmt":"2026-05-08T10:18:13","slug":"energy","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.bgs.ac.uk\/groundwater\/energy\/","title":{"rendered":"Energy"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t\t<section class=\"hero-section hero-section-with-social\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"hero-info-wrap\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"row\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"col-12\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"hero-info\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h1>Energy<\/h1>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>Groundwater and energy<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t<div class=\"social-wrap social-wrap-inline-them\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"sea-background-f\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<span>Share this article<\/span><a target=\"_blank\"  href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer\/sharer.php?u=https:\/\/www.bgs.ac.uk\/groundwater\/energy\/\"><span class=\"icon-facebook\"><span class=\"hidden\">Facebook<\/span><\/span><\/a><a target=\"_blank\"  href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=Energy&#038;url=https:\/\/www.bgs.ac.uk\/groundwater\/energy\/\"><span class=\"icon-twitter\"><span class=\"hidden\">Twitter<\/span><\/span><\/a><a   onclick=\"javascript:void( (function() {var e=document.createElement('script' );e.setAttribute('type','text\/javascript' );e.setAttribute('charset','UTF-8' );e.setAttribute('src','\/\/assets.pinterest.com\/js\/pinmarklet.js?r='+Math.random()*99999999);document.body.appendChild(e)})());\"  href=\"javascript:void(0);\"><span class=\"icon-pinterest\"><span class=\"hidden\">Pinterest<\/span><\/span><\/a><a target=\"_blank\"  href=\"https:\/\/wa.me?text=https:\/\/www.bgs.ac.uk\/groundwater\/energy\/\"><span class=\"icon-whatsapp\"><span class=\"hidden\">WhatsApp<\/span><\/span><\/a><a   href=\"mailto:?subject=Energy&#038;body=How%20groundwater%20can%20be%20used%20for%20geothermal%20energy%20and%20the%20effects%20of%20hydrocarbon%20exploitation%20on%20groundwater.%20(https:\/\/www.bgs.ac.uk\/groundwater\/energy\/)\"><span class=\"icon-mail\"><span class=\"hidden\">Email<\/span><\/span><\/a><a href=\"#\" data-copy=\"https:\/\/www.bgs.ac.uk\/groundwater\/energy\/\" class=\"copy-url-on-click\"><span class=\"icon-link\"><span class=\"hidden\">Copy Link<\/span><\/span><\/a><\/div><\/div>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\n\n\n<section class=\"wp-block-bgs-blocks-content-container content-section\"><div class=\"container\"><div class=\"row\"><div class=\"col-12\">\n<p>Hydrogeology and groundwater play a significant role in the energy sector and the transition towards net zero energy.&nbsp; At BGS we have experience in exploring how groundwater and aquifers can be used to facilitate energy production and storage; and also how to safeguard groundwater from degradation from the energy sector.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.bgs.ac.uk\/geology-projects\/geothermal-energy\/\">Geothermal energy<\/a> often relies on the aquifer properties of rocks to transmit and sustain heat flow. <\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.ukgeos.ac.uk\/\">Recent research<\/a>&nbsp;has focused on how water from closed coal mines can be used for heating and cooling.&nbsp; BGS has considerable expertise in monitoring and modelling mine heat along with a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ukgeos.ac.uk\/glasgow-observatory\">dedicated research facility in Glasgow<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The potential for shale gas exploitation in the UK was explored in the last decade before finally being ruled out.&nbsp; BGS undertook several years of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bgs.ac.uk\/groundwater\/energy\/shale-gas-and-groundwater\/\">monitoring and research to explore the risks to groundwater from shale gas<\/a>&nbsp;exploitation&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Waste from the nuclear industry must be stored for many thousands of years.&nbsp; Potential groundwater flowpaths are ley to assessing the long term safety of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bgs.ac.uk\/geology-projects\/radioactive-waste\/\">nuclear waste disposal<\/a>.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Mining for critical minerals often involves groundwater.&nbsp; For example lithium can be extracted from groundwater and salars.&nbsp; Good practice in mining also often involves strategies for monitoring and safeguarding local groundwater<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Storage of hydrogen and long term sequestration of CO2, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bgs.ac.uk\/geology-projects\/carbon-capture-and-storage\/\">Carbon Capture and Storage<\/a> (CCS) can often occur in deep aquifers, where the gases interacts with the often saline groundwater.&nbsp; BGS has considerable expertise in the CCS developed over decades working with partners.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Developing onshore windfarms and transmission lines often involve disturbing peatlands, a unique hydrogeological environment. BGS maps peat extents and also carried out research on how water flows through environments mantled by peat.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/section>\n\n\n\t\t<section id=\"in-this-section-3219-block_94e2bc20a9fd86c5985c6dfb9f80ac3c\" class=\"grid-section  basic-background-1   \" >\n\t\t\t<div class=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"row grid-wrap\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"col-md-6 col-lg-4\">\n\t<div class=\"cards-over-img cards  cards-find-more \">\n\t\t<a class=\"media-wrap\" href=\"https:\/\/www.bgs.ac.uk\/groundwater\/energy\/shale-gas-and-groundwater\/\">\n\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.bgs.ac.uk\/groundwater\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2025\/08\/P917040-thumb.jpg\" class=\"lazy-blur wp-post-image\" alt=\"A borehole drilling machine in a muddy field\" data-src=\"https:\/\/www.bgs.ac.uk\/groundwater\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2025\/08\/P917040-thumb.jpg\" \/>\t<\/a>\n\t\t<div class=\"info-wrap\">\n\t\t<div class=\"info\">\n\t\t\t<h2><a href=\"https:\/\/www.bgs.ac.uk\/groundwater\/energy\/shale-gas-and-groundwater\/\">Shale gas<\/a><\/h2>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>BGS research to understand the effects on groundwater from shale gas exploitation.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.bgs.ac.uk\/groundwater\/energy\/shale-gas-and-groundwater\/\">More Information<\/a>\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"col-md-6 col-lg-4\">\n\t<div class=\"cards-over-img cards  cards-find-more \">\n\t\t<a class=\"media-wrap\"  href=\"https:\/\/www.bgs.ac.uk\/geology-projects\/geothermal-energy\/\">\n\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.bgs.ac.uk\/groundwater\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2026\/05\/power-plant-67538_1920_pixabay-thumb.jpg\" class=\"lazy-blur\" alt=\"power-plant-67538_1920_pixabay-thumb\" data-src=\"https:\/\/www.bgs.ac.uk\/groundwater\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2026\/05\/power-plant-67538_1920_pixabay-thumb.jpg\" \/>\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t<div class=\"info-wrap\">\n\t\t<div class=\"info\">\n\t\t\t<h2>\n\t\t\t\t<a  href=\"https:\/\/www.bgs.ac.uk\/geology-projects\/geothermal-energy\/\">\n\t\t\t\t\tGeothermal energy\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/h2>\n\t\t\t<p><p>Investigating geothermal energy \u2014 energy stored in the form of heat beneath the surface of the solid Earth.<\/p>\n<\/p>\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.bgs.ac.uk\/geology-projects\/geothermal-energy\/\" >More information<\/a>\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\n\n<section class=\"cta-section  sea-background-e \">\n\t<div class=\"container\">\n\t\t<div class=\"row md-row\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"col-12\">\n\t\t\t\t<h2>Need more information?<\/h2>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"btn-wrap\"><a href=\"mailto:enquiries@bgs.ac.uk\"  class=\"button primary-background   \">Contact BGS Enquiries<\/a><\/div>\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n<\/section>\n\t","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>How groundwater can be used for geothermal energy and the effects of hydrocarbon exploitation on groundwater.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":6684,"parent":0,"menu_order":5,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_relevanssi_hide_post":"","_relevanssi_hide_content":"","_relevanssi_pin_for_all":"","_relevanssi_pin_keywords":"","_relevanssi_unpin_keywords":"","_relevanssi_related_keywords":"","_relevanssi_related_include_ids":"","_relevanssi_related_exclude_ids":"","_relevanssi_related_no_append":"","_relevanssi_related_not_related":"","_relevanssi_related_posts":"1","_relevanssi_noindex_reason":"","footnotes":""},"tags":[],"class_list":["post-6355","page","type-page","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.2 - 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