Abstract Large scale storage of heat is critical for the successful decarbonisation of the UK’s energy mix and for grid-balancing. Heat generation currently accounts for 50% of all energy use in the UK and most of this is produced by burning fossil natural gas. Heat is regarded as a single-use commodity, discarded or dissipated when not required in summer yet a lifesaving necessity during the colder winter months. Here we estimate the theoretical potential capacities for the storage of heat in the subsurface using aquifers and flooded mines, with a consideration of seasonal storage of heat in particular. We set this against the theoretical potential volumes of waste heat and solar thermal energy that could be exploited. This contributes to the wider knowledge base of the capacity of different forms of energy storage available through other means and highlights the potential for the UK. Our calculations indicate that the theoretical potential for large-scale underground thermal-energy storage in the UK is substantial, much larger than which might ever be needed and the location of such storage is well matched to the places where people live and work and therefore where the demand for heat occurs.

中文翻译：

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英国大规模地下热能储存 (UTES) 的理论潜力

摘要 大规模储热对于英国能源结构的成功脱碳和电网平衡至关重要。热能目前占英国所有能源使用量的 50%，其中大部分是通过燃烧化石天然气产生的。热量被视为一次性商品，在夏季不需要时被丢弃或消散，但在寒冷的冬季则是拯救生命的必需品。在这里，我们估计了使用含水层和淹没矿井在地下储存热量的理论潜在容量，特别是考虑了季节性的热量储存。我们将此与可以利用的废热和太阳能热能的理论潜在量进行对比。这有助于更广泛地了解通过其他方式获得的不同形式的储能能力，并突出了英国的潜力。我们的计算表明，英国大规模地下热能储存的理论潜力是巨大的，比可能需要的要大得多，而且这种储存的位置与人们生活和工作的地方非常匹配，因此发生对热量的需求。