SerpApi.Org
Abandoned coal mines could be repurposed as underground farms to protect crops from rising temperatures.
The first trial to find out whether deep farming is economically viable is taking place at the working Boulby polyhalite and salt mine near Whitby, North Yorkshire.
A team at the University of Sheffield is already growing salad crops about half a mile beneath the earth’s surface, but researchers hope to expand production to include samphire, sea fennel, quinoa, rocket, basil, mustard and tomatoes.
The plants are grown vertically without soil, nourished by LED lights and fed with a nutrient solution. It is the first time crops have been tested at such extreme depths anywhere in the world.
As well as reusing mines, farming deep underground could also offer greater resilience for crops as the climate warms because the subterranean tunnels are unaffected by extreme weather or seasonal variation.
Jacob Nickles, co-lead of the Institute for Sustainable Food’s Controlled Environment Agriculture at Sheffield University, said: “The idea of underground farming is not new. However, there is very little real-world evidence to show how this could work.
“If successful, we may be able to make use of the thousands of disused mine sites that exist across the UK. Many of these sites are located in economically deprived areas.
“Repurposing them could create skilled jobs, improving access to fresh produce, and supporting local communities while breathing new life into heritage sites.”
Although cut off from sunlight and lacking soil, mines have other benefits for crops, including warm, stable temperatures and a lack of pests and disease.
The temperature at Boulby stays between 25C-35C (77F-95F), which is perfect for crop growth and means there is no need for additional heat or air conditioning.
The crops are being cultivated inside the Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC) underground laboratory, a research site studying dark matter, particle physics, earth and environmental science, astrobiology, and planetary quantum technologies.
The 12-month study, in collaboration with Farm Urban, a pioneer of vertical farming, is hoping to provide the first real-world evidence of whether this type of cultivation is a practical and profitable way to grow food. The experiment is being watched closely by the Government.
Lord Vallance of Balham, the outgoing science minister, said: “Growing fresh food while using less energy and land – and being less reliant on changeable British weather – could strengthen food security across our country and protect our environment.
“At the same time, this project could see more disused mines becoming hubs for skilled jobs, creating new opportunities to benefit communities across the UK.”
In 2023, the University of Birmingham built a biosphere in the underground tunnels to practice tissue repair, cell banking, surgery and telemedicine in conditions cut off from civilisation, to mimic life in space.
Mr Nickles added: “STFC Boulby underground laboratory already does research looking at Mars and Moon-like conditions, as this site is dry, dusty and dark.
“We’re building a robust model using our primary data, which will be useful in a range of contexts, allowing us to predict the needs of a system based on the environmental conditions on, under and above Earth.”
Prof Sean Paling, director of STFC’s underground lab, said: “Boulby underground laboratory is a unique place for science, hosting research that can only be done in the special deep subterranean environment. Now we’re growing food.
“We’re using our unique environment to answer questions that can’t easily be answered anywhere else. If this can work here, it opens real possibilities for what disused mines across the UK could become for the public.”
