Methane emissions regulation is getting tougher, much tougher [Gas in Transition]
Methane emissions regulation is getting tougher, much tougher [Gas in Transition]
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Natural Gas News
Methane emissions regulation is getting tougher, much tougher [Gas in Transition]
Summary
Although responsible for only a small proportion of fossil fuel methane emissions, the LNG industry should be an exemplar in implementing the new regulations. by: Ross McCracken
Methane has been identified as a potent greenhouse gas (GHG), particularly over shorter time frames, and the impetus to control emissions of the gas is strong. In its report The Imperative of Cutting Methane from Fossil Fuels, published last October, the International Energy Agency (IEA) said that actions to tackle methane emissions from fossil fuel production and use were essential to limiting global warming to 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels. The primary targets, and the most cost effective, are the elimination of routine venting and flaring, alongside the rapid identification and repair of leaks. According to the IEA, fugitive methane emissions from LNG operations are relatively low. Liquefaction and shipping in 2022 resulted in methane emissions of just 0.4mn t, compared with the IEA estimate that fossil fuel operations generated close to 120mn tonnes of methane in 2020, nearly one third of those generated from all human activities. However, this ignores methane emitted upstream to supply the feedstock on which LNG plants depend. With a raft of regulations hitting the market from this year in the EU and US, controlling methane emissions from all parts of the gas value chain is now central to sust...
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