In the House of Commons today, Jonathan Gullis raised the Government’s plans to support the historic Chatterley Whitfield.
Chatterley Whitfield was the first colliery to produce over one million tonnes of coal in 1937, repeating that remarkable feat again in 1939. The site closed as a Colliery in 1977, but I passionately believe the site has an exciting future ahead of it. The decline of traditional coal-mining communities in the post-war period is still a highly emotive topic, and Jonathan is deeply passionate about breathing new life into these communities.
Chatterley Whitfield has the potential to be at the forefront of the United Kingdom’s green industrial revolution. The site has significant and untapped geothermal energy potential; an exciting green renewable energy source that could be a key component in the nation’s future energy supply.
Discussions with the Coal Authority have revealed that infrastructure already exists on the site that could help with the development of a mine energy project. The mine energy project would recover heat from below ground level, with the help of a heat pump bringing it to the surface. Based on early discussions with the Coal Authority, an initial pump is expected to deliver 1 MW of thermal output—enough to power 500 homes.
The current surge in energy prices, driven by Putin’s war in Ukraine, has demonstrated that the UK does not produce enough of its own energy. Projects like Chatterley Whitfield offer the Government options to make the UK significantly more self-sufficient, and therefore provide long-term solutions to making the nation more resilient.
In the House, Jonathan Gullis said:
“Stoke-on-Trent North, Kidsgrove and Talke is proud to be home to one of the largest European deep coal mine sites at Chatterley Whitfield colliery, with huge potential in geothermal - something that is already being explored in the city of Stoke-on-Trent at Etruria. Will my hon. Friend come and meet with myself, the Friends of Chatterley Whitfield colliery, Historic England and Stoke-on-Trent City Council to see what green jobs can be created at this former colliery site, bringing it back into use with a green future?”
Responding, the Minister of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, Graham Stuart, said:
“I thank my hon. Friend - I'd be delighted of course to accept my hon. Friend's kind offer.”
Commenting, Jonathan Gullis said:
“Chatterley Whitfield is a ‘sleeping giant’ that has the scope to drastically transform the local area. Geothermal energy could prove to be a vital, clean energy source for generations. The nation is quite literally sitting on swathes of untapped energy, and it is vital we seize on this opportunity to make our energy supply far more resilient. I am delighted the Minister has agreed to come and visit the site, and look forward to showing him around.”