1 39 demonstrator. 7. CONCLUSIONS This paper presented the design logic and early implementation progress of a postmining hydrogen demonstrator that combines: mine-water-based electrolysis; 500 bar storage and tube-trailer distribution; a 350 bar refuelling station for intercity buses; blending into the natural gas grid; and waste-heat recovery to hybridise geothermal district heating. The concept illustrates a practical pathway for turning mine-closure legacies into assets for renewable energy services. The MINE-TO-H2 approach is technically grounded in detailed engineering and process simulation, and it is complemented by governance and supporting measures (risk assessment, business cases, benchmarking and training) that are essential for wider adoption in coal regions in transition. It provides a transparent performance framework for evaluating circular-economy impacts, climate-mitigation outcomes, and just-transition benefits. Future work within the project will provide operational performance data from commissioning and hot testing, allowing refinement of the business case and the replication ‘mould’ for other mine contexts. For practitioners, the findings suggest that early integration of land-use planning, mine-water management, and local heat networks can improve the feasibility of post-mining energy redevelopment projects. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS This work is based on the MINE-TO-H2 project funded by the Research Fund for Coal and Steel (RFCS) of the European Commission, with Grant Agreement nº 101140154. The authors acknowledge the contributions of the project consortium and the host-site stakeholders. REFERENCES Bairrão, D.; Soares, J.; Almeida, J.; Franco, J.F.; Vale, Z. (2023). Green Hydrogen and Energy Transition: Current State and Prospects in Portugal. Energies, 16, 1–23. Brown, T.; Schlachtberger, D.; Kies, A.; Schramm, S.; Greiner, M. (2018). Synergies of Sector Coupling and Transmission Reinforcement in a Cost-Optimised, Highly Renewable European Energy System. Energy, 160, 720–739. Palisade Corporation (2016). TopRank, Version 7.5. Palisade Corporation: Ithaca, NY, USA.
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