UNECE guidance to
reduce emissions of methane from abandoned coal
mines will support climate
action
Methane
is a powerful short-lived climate pollutant. It is
also the main precursor of tropospheric ozone
(O3). Over a 20-year period, methane’s effect on global
warming is 84 times greater than carbon
dioxide. Fossil fuel production, including
coal mining, accounts for 29% of human-made
methane emissions.
Even after coal
mines are closed, they continue to emit methane
that migrates into the abandoned mine from
neighbouring, connected coal deposits. As many
countries shift their energy economies away from
coal, tackling Abandoned Mine Methane (AMM)
emissions will be an important issue. This
phenomenon, however, is observed not only in
countries where coal production is declining and
mines are closing, it is also found in those where
coal production continues to play a significant
role in the energy mix and closed mines are
replaced by new mines. Due to methane’s relatively
short 12-year atmospheric lifetime, compared with
CO2, taking action now to reduce emissions can
have a near-term impact to slow
warming.
Methane emissions from
closed and closing mines can be substantial and
are projected to increase. Estimates of global
coal mine methane emissions indicate that AMM
represented 17% of the total mine methane
emissions in 2010 and forecasts indicate that the
proportion may increase to as much as 24% in 2050.
To put these numbers in perspective, in 2016, coal
mines in the United States alone released 60.5
MMTCO2e of methane, which equals roughly the
warming impact caused by 13 million
cars.
New methods of assessing
emissions, including use of remote sensing,
measuring methane concentrations in the
atmosphere, pinpointing sources, and estimating
based on historical coal production, may help
countries identify and inventory methane resources
comprehensively. More precise estimates of the
cumulative volume of emissions could draw
attention to this potentially important energy
source and drive policy frameworks that support
investment.
To help raise awareness
of AMM opportunities amongst corporate, government
and financial decision-makers, UNECE’s Group of
Experts on Coal Mine Methane prepared a Best Practice Guidance
for Effective Methane Recovery and Use from
Abandoned Coal Mines. The document, presented
at the 28th session of the Committee on
Sustainable Energy (Geneva, 25-27 September),
complements the Best Practice Guidance
on Effective Methane Drainage and Use in Coal
Mines, first issued in
2010.
However, not all
abandoned mines are suitable for commercial AMM
projects. Favourable mining and geological
conditions may exist, but the most critical
pre-condition is the presence of a suitable end
user who could use the gas commercially. Without a
market for AMM-based energy, it is unlikely that
there would be a viable and sustainable project.
Experience has shown that efforts made at the
pre-feasibility and feasibility stages of a
project can significantly reduce both operational
problems and future costs.
Speaking
about the new publication, Mr. Scott Foster,
Director of UNECE’s Sustainable Energy Division,
noted that “we must recognise that we cannot
simply walk away from the world’s coal mining
legacy. There are increasing opportunities to
address environmental impacts by monitoring and
mitigating methane emissions from abandoned
mines.”
The Chair of the Group of
Experts on Coal Mine Methane, Mr. Raymond Pilcher,
underlined, in turn, that “it is clear from
the work of the experts and examples of successful
projects that abandoned mine methane may have
significant value, but it is also clear that
entrepreneurial investors and favourable market
conditions are critical if viable projects are to
be developed. Yet, there will remain many
abandoned mines for which projects may not be
developed, and those mines will continue to emit
methane unless actions are taken. Clearly,
innovative policies will be needed to address this
growing source of emissions.”
The AMM Best
Practice Guidance does not replace or supersede
laws and regulations or other legally binding
instruments, whether national or international. A
clear legal framework and supportive policies can
help in getting methane to market. To gain a
greater understanding about the potential growth
of these emissions, UNECE member states and Global Methane
Initiative (GMI) members are urged to consider
ways to improve their knowledge of the magnitude
and rate of growth of this emission source by
including methane emissions from abandoned
underground coal mines in their national
inventories.
The document, which will
be issued as an official UNECE publication later
in 2019, is available at:
http://www.unece.org/fileadmin/DAM/energy/images/CMM/CMM_CE/AMM_BPG_FINAL.pdf
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