La Camocha, Asturias coal mine

43º 29' 8'' N 5º 39' 58'' W

North-West Spain

Spain

Description

La Camocha is a former coal mine which is seven kilometers south of Gijon, Asturias, Spain. It was operated by Minas la Camocha SA, which is affiliated with González y Díez SA.

Extracted Materials

La Camocha is a coal mine. It is Camocha Mine has a huge importance in the industrial history of Asturias, being a big Felgueroso’s family project and the only mine shaft in Gijón.

Antropological info

Flooded mine workings have good potential as low-enthalpy geothermal resources, which could be used for heating and cooling purposes, thus making use of the mines long after mining activity itself ceases. It would be useful to estimate the scale of the geothermal potential represented by abandoned and flooded underground mines in Europe.

Archaeological info

From  a  few  practical  considerations,  a  procedure  has  been  developed  for  assessing  the  geothermal  energy  potential  of  abandoned  underground  coal  mines,  as  well  as  for quantifying  the  reduction  in  CO2 emissions  associated  with  using  the  mines  instead  of conventional  heating/cooling  technologies

Sustainable tourism insights

A path running along the old mining railway that linked La Camocha Colliery with Veriña and Gijón's port, El Musel.

Environment sustainability

The search for alternative water resources has been promoted and the use of mine water in it has become especially relevant in areas with abandoned mining operations; moreover, the new technological developments in the field of mine water treatment have opened new horizons for a potential mine water reuse. in the municipality of gijón, in north-western Spain, underground coal mining operations accomplished in a small carboniferous basin are in an abandonment phase, and the mine works are in a flooding process as a consequence of the pumping cessation of water drained from the mine works. this mine water rebound through the mine voids involves the creation of a new pseudo-karstic type of aquifer, which can be considered like an underground dam; with the advantage in front of the surface dams is the absence of evaporation losses and the availability for use during drought periods as a complement to the conventional water resources.