12th May 2021 11:11 am 12th May 2021 11:11 am An abandoned coalmine is being repurposed as a source of geothermal energy that will heat council-owned buildings in South Tyneside. Deep flooded mine (Image: South Tyneside Council) Planning permission has been granted for initial testing to take place on the Hebburn minewater scheme, which will draw geothermal energy from abandoned flooded mines in the former Hebburn Colliery to heat buildings that include a residential tower block. Two wells will now be drilled by Dunelm Geotechnical and Environmental Ltd to extract water from the mines, and tests will validate whether the scheme remains fully viable. Drilling works and construction of the wells are likely to take until the autumn to complete.