Converting Coal Mines to Solar Can Add up to 15% of Global Capacity: Report 

The report estimates that conversion to solar leads to job creation in the sector, but some hurdles need to be addressed 

A new report showed that the coal mines that have been abandoned or will end by this decade hold enough potential photovoltaic (PV) solar capacity, i.e. the total amount of electricity a solar energy system can produce under standard conditions, to power the country the size of Germany. 

The Global Energy Monitor (GEM) report titled “Bright Side of the Mine: Solar’s opportunity to reclaim coal’s footprint” in its first analysis showed that over 300 surface coal mines recently out of commission could house around 103 GW of photovoltaic (PV) solar capacity, and upcoming closures of large operations could host an additional 185 GW of solar across 127 sites. 

Measuring solar potential

The study estimated that 446 coal mines and 5,280 km square of abandoned mines could be suitable for solar repurposing. With development, those projects could keep nearly 300GW of photovoltaic solar potential, equivalent to 15% of the globally installed solar capacity.

Hailey Deres, researcher at GEM, said, “Acquiring land for global renewable energy targets has been rife with conflicts among stakeholders and decision-makers, so repurposing degraded lands could provide salient new benefits to former coal communities across the planet.”

The report cited data showing that China has 90 operational coal mines to solar conversions, with a capacity of 14GW, and 46 more projects, with 9GW in planning. The next major coal producers— Australia, the US, Indonesia, and India— have nearly three-quarters of the global potential for coal to solar transitions. 

The report estimated that 259,700 permanent jobs could be created at coal-to-solar transition sites, and another 317,500 temporary and construction jobs, more than the number of workers that the coal industry is expected to shed globally by 2035.

Challenges to build the solar projects 

The report also noted one hurdle that comes with  building solar projects on former coal mines is identifying landowners, as when coal operations close, companies often unload properties to junior firms or file for bankruptcy. The change in ownership makes it difficult to track control of land titles over time. If a coal company reclaims the land after mining, then solar development must still wait until the coal firm releases its bond and the rights return to whoever held it first, which may be another mining company, a landholding firm, or a longtime community landowner.

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