Current Situation and Prospects of Applied Research on Underground Space Resources of Abandoned Coal Mines

With the development of society, many coal mines have been forced to abandon due to reasons such as unqualified safety conditions, the risk of collapse, equipment aging, and technological limitations. Meanwhile, some enterprises have voluntarily closed their coal mines in response to national policies and environmental protection requirements. Due to the above various reasons, these abandoned coal mines have led to a large amount of idle underground space resources. Combining with the current research status of the application of underground space resources in abandoned coal mines at home and abroad, the current utilization models of underground space resources in abandoned coal mines mainly include three utilization methods: energy storage, storage reservoirs, and basic livelihood facilities. Specifically, classified according to the energy storage utilization model, the utilization methods of underground space resources mainly include pumped storage, gravitational energy storage, compressed air energy storage, and underground space heat storage, etc. Classified according to the utilization model of storage reservoirs, the utilization methods of underground space resources mainly include water storage reservoirs, gas storage reservoirs, oil storage tanks, storage warehouses, and carbon dioxide (CO₂) sequestration, etc. Classified according to the utilization model of basic livelihood infrastructure construction, underground space resources can be planned and constructed into economic and cultural venues such as hospitals, laboratories, museums, agricultural planting bases, and parks. This paper aims to summarize the current application status of underground space resources in abandoned coal mines at home and abroad, conduct a comprehensive analysis of the advantages and disadvantages of different utilization models, and introduce relevant application cases at the same time, so as to provide scientific guidance and theoretical reference for the rational utilization of underground space resources in abandoned coal mines.