Chinese researchers propose turning abandoned coal mines into underground farm labs
A Shanxi research team says thousands of closing coal mines could host climate-controlled agricultural experiments using geothermal heat and treated mine water.
What to know
- Shanxi researchers propose converting some of China's roughly 12,000-15,000 abandoned coal mines into controlled agricultural experiment sites, not full-scale farms.
- The pitch relies on the underground environment's stability against weather and disasters, plus geothermal heat and treated mine water for irrigation.
- No natural sunlight or rainfall reaches the tunnels, so the researchers' own assessment focuses on artificial light, heat, water, air and carbon dioxide control feasibility.
- The idea is at the proposal/assessment stage in a paper published in China Mining Magazine; no pilot project or funding has been reported yet.
“The results show that coal mine underground spaces possess the engineering foundation for constructing agricultural experimental units when the surrounding rock stability meets engineering specifications, and ventilation, drainage, and safety monitoring systems are complete”
Shanxi research team, Authors of the China Mining Magazine paper · ScienceAlert ↗ · Sep 10
Shanxi Province Coal-based Resources Green and High-efficiency Development Engineering Center Research team behind the proposal
How it unfolded 3 developments, newest first · click a bar or a number to jump articlespostscomments
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Social media picks up the idea, questions its energy logic
Reddit and Mastodon posts spread the ScienceAlert story, and at least one commenter challenges the underlying energy rationale of shifting light-dependent farming underground.
“How is this energetically at all useful? If you're going to capture sun energy above ground just to ship it underground, why not use it above ground?”
— imhereforthevotes -
How is this energetically at all useful? If you're going to capture sun energy above ground just to ship it underground, why not use it above ground?
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ScienceAlert breaks down the feasibility assessment
ScienceAlert publishes a fuller account of the researchers' methodology, citing their assessment of structural safety, ventilation, drainage and light/heat/water/air/carbon control, and their conclusion that some mines could host stable agricultural experimental units.
“Against the backdrop of intensifying global climate change and growing agricultural demand in extreme and enclosed environments, exploring experimental agricultural models in coal mine underground spaces carries important scientific significance and engineering value…”
— Shanxi research team - 2 days quiet
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SCMP reports on the coal-mine-farming proposal
South China Morning Post details the plan, noting about 15,000 abandoned mines are expected to close in China by 2030 and that insulation from surface weather and disasters gives the tunnels agricultural advantages.
“With climate change intensifying globally, the stability and sustainability of traditional land agricultural systems are facing severe challenges…”
— Shanxi research team, Authors of the China Mining Magazine paper · source -
background
Shanxi team publishes underground-farming proposal — Researchers from the Shanxi Province Coal-based Resources Green and High-efficiency Development Engineering Center describe the idea in a paper published in China Mining Magazine, assessing whether light, temperature and water needs could be met underground.
Also covered reported alongside — the timeline has no entry for these yet
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first by SCMP China, 16d ago · also SCMP
and 1 smaller piece