Converting closed coal mines to solar can add 15% to global capacity, finds Global Energy Monitor (GEM) report

Coal mines that have been abandoned or will close by the end of this decade hold enough potential photovoltaic (PV) solar capacity to power a country the size of Germany for a year, finds a new report from Global Energy Monitor (GEM).

The first-of-its-kind analysis draws on data in the Global Coal Mine Tracker to identify 312 surface coal mines that have been idled and degraded since 2020. These abandoned mines sprawl over 2,089 square kilometres (km²), an area nearly the size of Luxembourg. With repurposing, these coal-to-solar projects could site 103 gigawatts (GW) of solar power capacity on derelict lands.

The analysis further identifies 3,731 km² of mine land that may be abandoned by operators before the end of 2030, owing to the depletion of reserves and the reported life of the mine. If those operations close, they could site an additional 185 GW of solar power capacity.

In total, an estimated 446 coal mines and 5,820 km² of abandoned mine lands could be suitable for solar repurposing. With development, those projects could harbor nearly 300 GW of photovoltaic solar potential, equivalent to 15% of the globally installed solar capacity.

The new data on coal-to-solar projects shows that China has 90 operational coal mine-to-solar conversions, with a capacity of 14 GW, and 46 more projects, with 9 GW, in planning, while the next four major coal producers — Australia, the U.S., Indonesia and India— have nearly three quarters of the global potential for coal to solar transitions.

Not only would this conversion help the world towards the global goal of tripling renewables capacity by the end of the decade, it would also provide an economic incentive for reclamation and cleaning up the mess left after mining, which is not standard routine in much of the world.

The report estimates 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.

The greatest potential for solar redevelopment on mine lands is found in some of the world’s largest coal-producing countries — Australia, Indonesia, the United States, and India.

Cheng Cheng Wu, Project Manager for the Energy Transition Tracker at Global Energy Monitor, said, “The legacy of coal is written into the land, but that legacy does not have to define the future. The coal mine to solar transition is underway, and this potential is ready to be unlocked in major coal producers like Australia, the U.S., Indonesia and India.

Repurposing mines for solar development offers a rare chance to bring together land restoration, local job creation, and clean energy deployment in a single strategy. With the right choices, the same ground that powered the industrial era can help power the climate solutions we now urgently need.”

Hailey Deres, Researcher at Global Energy Monitor, 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.”

Ryan Driskell Tate, Associate Director at Global Energy Monitor, said “We’ve seen what happens in coal communities when companies go bankrupt, axe the workers, and leave a mess behind. But mined-out coalfields harbor huge potential for powering a clean energy future. It’s already happening. We just need the right mix of incentives to put people to work building the next generation of solar in coal country.”