Extracting value from coal mine methane
- Verdao Group (United States)
Emerging US policy to regulate greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions through a cap-and-trade program presents mine managers with a new opportunity to explore and develop methane utilization or abatement projects that generate value from the anodization of carbon offset credits. In addition, the rising focus on US energy security and domestic energy supply is promoting mine managers and engineers to give further consideration to the importance of their methane gas by-products. The market through which coal mine methane offset projects can be developed and carbon offset credits monetized is quickly maturing. While many methane utilization projects have previously been uneconomical, the carbon offset credit market provides a new set of financing tools for mine engineers to capitalize these projects today. Currently , there are two certification programs that have approved project protocols for CMM projects. The Voluntary Carbon Standard (VCS) offers a methodology approved under the Clean Development Mechanism, the international compliance based offset market under the Kyoto Protocol. The VCS protocol is applicable to projects that combust ventilation air methane (VAM) and methane extracted from pre-and post-mine drainage systems. The Chicago Climate Exchange (CCX), which operates a voluntary yet binding cap-and-trade market, also has an approved protocol for CMM projects. CCX's protocol can be applied to projects combusting VAM, and methane extracted from pre-and-post-mine drainage systems, as well as abandoned mines. The article describes two case studies - Developing a gob gas utilization project financed by carbon offset credits and First VAM oxidation system to be commissioned at an operating mine in the US. 1 tab., 4 photos.
- OSTI ID:
- 21212758
- Journal Information:
- Coal Age, Vol. 114, Issue 6; ISSN 0009-9910
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
29 ENERGY PLANNING
POLICY AND ECONOMY
METHANE
MATERIALS RECOVERY
COAL DEPOSITS
ENVIRONMENTAL POLICY
CARBON DIOXIDE
MITIGATION
USA
GREENHOUSE GASES
CAPTURE
WASTE PRODUCT UTILIZATION
COMBUSTION
COAL MINING
EMISSIONS TRADING
COMPLIANCE
KYOTO PROTOCOL
DEGASSING
ROCKY MOUNTAINS
OXIDATION
VENTILATION SYSTEMS
HEAT RECOVERY