Abstract Title: | Laying foundation for mitigation through accounting methane emissions from active underground mines using safety measurements |
Presenter Name: | Mr Clark Talkington |
Co-authors: | Ms Volha Roshchanka |
Company/Organisation: | Advanced Resources International, Inc. |
Country: | United States |
Abstract Information :
The coal industry is the fourth largest source of anthropogenic methane emissions. The United States Environmental Protection Agency USEPA estimates that global methane emissions from coal mining will total 942 million metric tonnes of CO2 equivalent MMTCO2e in 2025. rnrnGreenhouse gas emissions GHG monitoring, reporting and verification MRV practices for active underground coal mines vary considerably in the coal industry, with Tier 1 and 2 methods used widely and Tier 3 methods used in a limited number of countries. In contrast, it is standard safety practice in the coal industry to monitor methane concentrations and flows in underground mines using instrumentation, sampling and analysis, and other analytical tools. While not a direct substitute for GHG monitoring, safety-based methane measurements can provide a reasonable approximation of emissions as a viable and cost-effective starting point for emissions monitoring and measurement, particularly in developing countries where more robust GHG MRV programs are needed.rnrnThis paper will: i introduce the Global Methane Initiative and the Global Methane Pledge; ii review sources of coal mine methane CMM emissions and present global CMM emission estimates; iii identify existing requirement on methane safety monitoring, measurement and reporting at underground mines in major mining countries; iv discuss how these methods could be used for greenhouse gas emissions monitoring and assess their strengths and weaknesses as emissions monitoring methods; v offer recommendations for implementing programs that use safety measurements for estimating emissions from underground coal mines; vi review resources available for mitigation of emissions from the coal mining sector. rnrnrn