Coal Mine Methane (CMM)
(from current or abandoned mines)
Coal mine methane is a potent greenhouse gas that contributes to climate change if emitted to the atmosphere. Moreover, methane gas released during coal mining has caused numerous explosive hazards over the years. This has necessitated the drilling of vents to drain away the methane (CMM). Methane can also continue to emit from abandoned coal mine (AMM).

If CMM/AMM is collected and harnessed, it can serve as a valuable and renewable source of energy. The commercial exploitation of methane from coal mines brings benefits that include improved air quality and mine safety, a new source of renewable energy, an additional revenue stream for the coal mine, increased mine productivity, and reduced greenhouse gas emissions.

Increasing Recovery and Use of Coal Mine Methane
According to the United States Environmental Protection Agency information, there are several thousand abandoned coal mines in the U.S. and China. In the US, EPA has identified some 400 abandoned mines that are still emitting and has identified profiles of mines for future project developments.

Coal Bed Methane (CBM)
Methane can also be extracted from un-mined coal reserves (CBM). It involves direct drilling into coal seams to release the methane adsorbed in the coal. CBM drilling schemes in the UK are in the pilot phase with no large scale operation. Several companies are applying the same drilling techniques from the oil industry to test for project viability.

Enhanced Coal Bed Methane Recovery (ECBM): Carbon dioxide is injected in to un-mined coal seams to displace methane; injection enables methane recovery and carbon dioxide sequestration.
The factors still limiting the implementation of ECBM are economical, technological and limited understanding of fundamental issues related to ECBM.
Photo: Enhanced Coal Bed Methane Recovery

CBM has advantages over the CMM method of extracting methane:

CBM facilitates extraction of gas from coal seams prior to mining the coal, thus reducing the potential danger of explosion caused by methane when carrying out traditional mining methods

Its methane quality allows the extracted methane to be fed directly into the gas distribution network. This is to be contrasted with CMM/AMM which normally has a higher carbon dioxide mix and as such is not suitable for direct introduction.

Global CMM emissions in 2000 (Total 120 MMTCE)
(Global Anthropogenic Emissions of Non - CO2 Greenhouse Gases 1990 - 2020 - EPA)

A pie-chart showing 2000 Global coal mine methane emissions in million metric tons carbon dioxide equivalent by country: China 40%, U.S. 14%, Russia 7%, Ukraine 7%, North Korea, Australia 4%, Poland 3%, India 2%, Germany 2%, South Africa 2%, Kazakstan 2%, all others 11%.

The Coalbed Methane Outreach Program (CMOP) is a voluntary program with a goal to reduce methane emissions from coal mining activities, to facilitate the profitable recovery and use of coal mine methane (CMM) and to address related barriers. In turn, these actions mitigate climate change, improve mine safety and productivity. CMOP has been actively engaged in such activities with many key coal-producing countries, including China, India, Poland, Russia, and Ukraine. According to the 2007 U.S. inventory, nearly all CMM captured and used from active U.S. mines is injected into the natural gas pipeline system.

China to Reduce Greenhouse Gas Emissions from Coal Mine Methane
China signed the first ever greenhouse gas emission reductions purchase agreement (ERPA) for a coal mine
methane project. Over 60% of China’s energy needs are met by coal. CMM/AMM projects are one of China's prioritized projects under the Clean Development Mechanism of the Kyoto Protocol.

The project developer Jincheng Anthracite Coal Group Co. Ltd. will capture coalmine methane and utilize it for local power generation or to be fed into the power grid system. The CER generated will be purchased by the Prototype Carbon Fund (PCF). This is so far the largest ERPA within the World Bank’s carbon finance.
The Project will benefit local population that is heavily coal dependent. In harnessing the explosive methane, it will also improve the safety of 27 000 miners. ( web.worldbank.org December 2, 2004)

Coal Mine Methane CER in China
German RWE Power, will be collecting emissions reduction credits from its first coal mine methane project in China in 2008. The company expects to collect an annual CER of 350 000 tonnes, according to director of the firm’s Climate Protection Projects in China. RWE plans to buy 20 million tonnes of credit from China, nearly a quarter of the volume it needs through 2012. RWE is also considering another four or five large coal mine methane projects in China.

Investors have flocked to China, in part because its massive industrial and coal mining sectors have offered relatively easy pickings. Last year it provided over 60% of all CDM credits generated worldwide.
The US had also discussed with China in June 2007 to strike out environmental collaboration in four sectors: agriculture, coal mines, landfills, and oil and natural gas system. Both have agreed to the development of about 15 large scale CMM capture and utilization projects in China over the next five years. Capturing methane creates a commodity that provides clean energy and increases mine safety, according to U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

US and India for CCM Collaboration
As announced by EPA on year end 2006, US and India are to set up a Coal Methane Information Center to promote the development of coal bed and coal mine methane projects in India. EPA has successfully established coal bed methane clearinghouses in several other countries including China, Russia, and Ukraine.

References and related news:

RWE Buying Coal Mine Methane CERs in China: Asiacleantech.wordpress.com Sept 20, 2007
US Working with China on CMM Capture Projects: (EPA) Aug 2007.
Coal Mine Collapse Kills 2 in Turkey: Hurriyet.com Feb 2009

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