Co-exploitation of mine-derived geothermal energy: recent advances and emerging perspectives

With the growing global demand for resources and the intensification of environmental issues, conventional energy utilization methods are no longer sufficient to ensure a clean and sustainable energy supply. Co-exploitation of mine-derived geothermal energy (CMGE), as an innovative and promising technology for the integrated utilization of natural resources, has gained significant attention in recent years. This review summarizes the latest advancements in the field of CMGE, highlighting both progress and persisting challenges. The genesis mechanisms of mine-derived geothermal energy (MGE) and their classification criteria are reviewed, emphasizing the technical feasibility and development framework. Traditional geothermal resource evaluation methods provide the foundation for MGE assessment, but methods accounting for mining-induced effects require further development. Multiscale, physics-based experiments clarify the seepage and heat transfer behaviors of pores, fractures, and rocks. Advanced numerical simulations replicate and invert experimental processes, while also facilitating the scaling of CMGE from microscale to macroscale. Furthermore, the principles, conditions, optimization methods, and limitations of the four current advanced CMGE technologies are clarified, with emphasis on optimizing heat extraction performance from a material perspective. Artificial intelligence has shown its data-driven potential for CMGE, offering powerful tools to overcome technological barriers. The optimization process for MGE’s cascade utilization has advanced from single-parameter to global parameter collaborative optimization. Finally, CMGE currently faces sustainability challenges related to environmental effects, geological stability, and government policies and regulations. The findings support the successful incorporation of geothermal energy from mines into the global energy network, promoting energy security for future generations.