Repurposing closed coal mines to generate solar power can add 15% to global capacity

With repurposing, these coal-to-solar projects site on derelict lands have potential to generate 103 gigawatts (GW) of solar power capacity, according to GEM report.

Mumbai Coal mines that have been abandoned and those which are expected to close by the end of this decade hold enough potential photovoltaic (PV) solar capacity to power a country the size of Germany for a year, finds a new report from Global Energy Monitor (GEM).

The first-of-its-kind analysis draws on data from the Global Coal Mine Tracker to identify 312 surface coal mines that have been idled and degraded since 2020. These abandoned mines sprawl over 2,089 square kilometres, an area nearly the size of Luxembourg, according to a press statement. 

With repurposing, these coal-to-solar projects site on derelict lands have potential to generate 103 gigawatts (GW) of solar power capacity, according to GEM, which develops and shares information in support of the worldwide movement for clean energy.

The analysis further identifies 3,731 sq km of mine land that may be abandoned by operators before the end of 2030, owing to the depletion of reserves and the reported life of the mine. If those operations close, they could site an additional 185 GW of solar power capacity.

Cheng Cheng Wu, Project Manager for the Energy Transition Tracker at Global Energy Monitor, said: “The legacy of coal is written into the land, but that legacy does not have to define the future. The coal mine to solar transition is underway, and this potential is ready to be unlocked in major coal producers like Australia, the US, Indonesia and India. Repurposing mines for solar development offers a rare chance to bring together land restoration, local job creation, and clean energy deployment in a single strategy. With the right choices, the same ground that powered the industrial era can help power the climate solutions we now urgently need.”

In total, an estimated 446 coal mines and 5,820 sq km of abandoned mine lands could be suitable for solar repurposing. With development, those projects could harbour nearly 300 GW of photovoltaic solar potential, equivalent to 15% of the globally installed solar capacity.

The new data on coal-to-solar projects shows that China has 90 operational coal mine-to-solar conversions, with a capacity of 14 GW, and 46 more projects, with 9 GW, in planning, while the next four major coal producers — Australia, the U.S., Indonesia and India— have nearly three-quarters of the global potential for coal to solar transitions.