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Monday, 30 November 2009
Beijing moves to turn harmful methane into an energy source
The mainland, a massive consumer of fossil fuels and coal in particular, is trying to modernise its mines by containing emissions of methane and turning the gas into a source of much-needed energy.
Beijing moves to turn harmful methane into an energy source
Agence France-Presse in Beijing 25 November 2009
The mainland, a massive consumer of fossil fuels and coal in particular, is trying to modernise its mines by containing emissions of methane and turning the gas into a source of much-needed energy.
Beijing made methane capture a priority, both in the name of safety - as the gas is responsible for many of the deadly blasts in the mainland’s dangerous mines - and environmental protection. The mainland is the world’s top emitter of greenhouse gases and the extraction of coal, the source of more than 70 per cent of the country’s energy, accounts for a significant proportion of emissions.
It has come under pressure to commit to emissions cuts, especially in the run-up to climate change talks in Copenhagen next month, and is subsidising clean coal technology.
Dr. Huang Shengchu, director of the Chinese Coal Information Institute in Beijing, a government-linked body, said: “The government grants about US$300 million a year in subsidies to mines that set up methane-capture units.”
These mines are cleared of dangerous gas before coal is extracted. The siphoned-off methane is transported through pipelines to power stations where, unlike carbon dioxide, it can be turned into electricity.
Despite the benefits, not all involved in the industry have been converted to the idea. “Small private operations are reluctant to implement Beijing’s policies,” Huang said.
But firms that specialise in clean coal technology said they were optimistic mining firms would join in.
Dave McKinnon, project manager for Australian firm Valley Longwall International, said: “This industry is undergoing a huge modernisation.”
His company has been selling its computer-assisted drilling guidance system for three years in Shanxi province, the coal-producing heartland. It detects methane emissions and allows for near-total capture.
“Most of my customers buy our technology because the safety standards are more and more strict,” McKinnon said.
Official figures show more than 3,200 workers died in collieries last year, but independent labour groups said the figure could be much higher. At least 104 miners were killed in a huge blast at a mine in the northeastern province of Heilongjiang last Saturday, the nation’s worst mining disaster in two years.
Methane has been extracted from mines through ventilation systems to prevent high concentrations in the shafts, which could poison workers and lead to explosions. But that method allowed the gas to escape into the atmosphere.
Pamela Franklin, of the United States Environmental Protection Agency, said: “Methane represents only 1 or 2 per cent of the consumption of primary energy in China, but it could become quite important in some areas.”
In Shanxi, the city of Jincheng stands as a shining example of the benefits of methane capture. Since last year, a big power station has been fed by a mine’s methane. Huang said the US$45 million plant could continuously produce 120 megawatts of power, and was one of the most significant of its kind in the world.
Last year, 4.3 billion cubic metres of methane were captured, a 26 per cent increase from 2007, said Ming Yang, of the International Energy Agency, who co-authored a report on methane use.
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Beijing moves to turn harmful methane into an energy source
Agence France-Presse in Beijing
25 November 2009
The mainland, a massive consumer of fossil fuels and coal in particular, is trying to modernise its mines by containing emissions of methane and turning the gas into a source of much-needed energy.
Beijing made methane capture a priority, both in the name of safety - as the gas is responsible for many of the deadly blasts in the mainland’s dangerous mines - and environmental protection. The mainland is the world’s top emitter of greenhouse gases and the extraction of coal, the source of more than 70 per cent of the country’s energy, accounts for a significant proportion of emissions.
It has come under pressure to commit to emissions cuts, especially in the run-up to climate change talks in Copenhagen next month, and is subsidising clean coal technology.
Dr. Huang Shengchu, director of the Chinese Coal Information Institute in Beijing, a government-linked body, said: “The government grants about US$300 million a year in subsidies to mines that set up methane-capture units.”
These mines are cleared of dangerous gas before coal is extracted. The siphoned-off methane is transported through pipelines to power stations where, unlike carbon dioxide, it can be turned into electricity.
Despite the benefits, not all involved in the industry have been converted to the idea. “Small private operations are reluctant to implement Beijing’s policies,” Huang said.
But firms that specialise in clean coal technology said they were optimistic mining firms would join in.
Dave McKinnon, project manager for Australian firm Valley Longwall International, said: “This industry is undergoing a huge modernisation.”
His company has been selling its computer-assisted drilling guidance system for three years in Shanxi province, the coal-producing heartland. It detects methane emissions and allows for near-total capture.
“Most of my customers buy our technology because the safety standards are more and more strict,” McKinnon said.
Official figures show more than 3,200 workers died in collieries last year, but independent labour groups said the figure could be much higher. At least 104 miners were killed in a huge blast at a mine in the northeastern province of Heilongjiang last Saturday, the nation’s worst mining disaster in two years.
Methane has been extracted from mines through ventilation systems to prevent high concentrations in the shafts, which could poison workers and lead to explosions. But that method allowed the gas to escape into the atmosphere.
Pamela Franklin, of the United States Environmental Protection Agency, said: “Methane represents only 1 or 2 per cent of the consumption of primary energy in China, but it could become quite important in some areas.”
In Shanxi, the city of Jincheng stands as a shining example of the benefits of methane capture. Since last year, a big power station has been fed by a mine’s methane. Huang said the US$45 million plant could continuously produce 120 megawatts of power, and was one of the most significant of its kind in the world.
Last year, 4.3 billion cubic metres of methane were captured, a 26 per cent increase from 2007, said Ming Yang, of the International Energy Agency, who co-authored a report on methane use.
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