Strategies for limiting methane gas in the European union

Energy Convers. Mgmt Vol. 37, Nos 6-8, pp. 1187-1192, 1996

Pergamon

0196-8904(95)00318-5

Copyright © 1996 Elsevier Science Ltd Printed in Great Britain. All rights reserved 0196-8904/96 $15.00 + 0.00

STRATEGIES FOR LIMITING METHANE GAS I N THE EUROPEAN U N I O N

B. OUDART CITEPA (Centre Interprofessionnel Technique d'Etudes de la Pollution Atmosph6rique) 3, rue Henri Heine - 75016 - PARIS (FRANCE)

Abstract - CITEPA carried out a study on behalf of the European Commission about possibilities of limiting methane gas in the European Union. In this paper which deals only with methane anthropogenic emissions, emission inventories have been elaborated for the years 1990, 2005 and 2010 considering a ~ no climate policies >) scenario on one hand and ~¢existing policies )) scenario on the other hand. On the basis of these inventories, considering the main sources of CH4, the possibilities of the applications of emission reduction technologies are analysed in order to propose a Community programme for action.

1 - INTRODUCTION Atmospheric concentrations of methane are increasing. These increases are highly correlated with increases in global population and human-related activities that release methane to the atmosphere. Assessing the current and potential future levels of methane emissions from anthropogenic sources and the portion of such emissions that are controllable is an important step toward developing emission reduction strategies. This paper is organised in four parts : - the first part deals with methane emission inventories - the second part deals with technical options for reducing methane emission - the third part deals with European potential of CH4 reductions - the fourth part deals with a proposed community programme for action.

2 - METHANE EMISSION INVENTORIES

The best current estimates of emission from individual sources of methane clearly show that anthropogenie sources dominate over all natural sources. The table 1 gives estimated sources and sinks of methane according to IPCC [1].

1187

1188

OUDART: STRATEGIES FOR LIMITING CH4 GAS Tg CH4 / year

Global estimate Global range

Aathropogenic sources

- Oil/Gas systems - Coal mining - Landt'~ls - Domesti~mxl livestock - Animal waste - Rice - Biomass burning - Waste water treament Natural sources - Natural wetlands - Termites - Oceans and freshwater - CH4 hydrate destabili7afion Total sources Sinks - Atmospheric removal - Removal by soils Atmospheric increase

50 40 30 80 25 60 40 25

30-70 25-50 20-70 65-100 20-30 20-150 20-80 ?

115 20 15 0

100-200 10-50 5-45 0-15

505

404- 610

470 30

420-520 15-45

32

28- 37

Table 1. Estimated Global sources and sinks o f methane Tg CH4 per year (source : IPCC (1992) [1]) According to IPCC studies [2, 3], on the base o f a <> scenario (i.e. no voluntary action to reduce greenhouse gases emissions), global CH4 anthropogenic emissions are expeoted to increase as shown in table 2.

2000

2025

2050

2100

+14% +13% +10%

+40% +39% +68%

+68% +64% +145%

+120% +115% +187%

+18%

+64%

+145%

+136%

+10%

+30%

+45%

+40%

Anthropogenic sources

Oil/Gas systems Coal mining Landfills Domesticated livestock Rice

Table 2. A n t h r o p o g e n i c CH4 emission evolution at global scale up to 2100 with regard t o 1990 level (source : IPCC (1992) [2.3]) If we consider a linear evolution o f emissions between 2000 and 2025, global methane anthropogenic emissions are expected to increase by 30% in 2010 with regard to the 1990 emission level. The European inventory for the year 1990 is coming as far as possible from the C O R I N A I R 90 inventory o f each Member State. The inventories for the years 2005 and 2010 are determined on the base o f a < scenario. Emission factors are considered to be constant over this period, only activity level variations are taken into account. Table 3 gives anthropogenic methane emissions in the European Union (12 Member States) in 1990 and foreseeable emissions in 2005 and 2010.

OUDART: STRATEGIESFOR LIMITINGCH4 GAS kt CH4/year

1189

1990

2005

2010

ENERGY Combustion Extraction of fossil fuels Gas distribution Transport

4659 446 3085 977 151

4391 500 2377 1308 206

4300 518 2143 1415 224

WASTE Landfills Waste incineration

5819 5805 14

6517 6501 16

6750 6733 17

AGRICULTURE Ruminantlive~eck Livesteckmanure

11321 6782 4539

12294 7398 4896

12619 7604 5015

TOTAL

21799

23202

23669

Table 3. European anthropogenic CH4 emissions considering a <
Fossil fuel combustion Altering combustion processes Exhaust control technologies Coal mining Enhanced gob well recovery Pre-mining degasification Ventilation air utilization Integrated recovery

CH4 reduction Availability

Costs

? ? 20-50% up to 70% 10-90% 80-90%

available available R&D available

medium/high low/medium medium/high

up to 500/0

available

low

up to 80%

available

low/medium

Landfills Methane recovery & utilization Semi-aerobic landfill management Aerobic landfill management iReduced landtilling of waste

30-70% up to 50% over 80% up to 100%

available available

medium medium

available

low/medium

Ruminant livestock Livestock reduction Increase of feed conversion efficiency Increase of animal production

up to 100% 10-20% 5-30%

available available

? low

Livestock manure Covered lagoons Digesters

up to 800/0 up to 70%

available available

low/medium low/medium

Oil and natural gas Reduced venting & flairing Improved leak detection & pipeline repair

low

high

Table 4. Technical options to reduce methane emissions

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OUDART: STRATEGIESFOR LIMITING CH4 GAS

4 - EUROPEAN P O T E N T I A L OF CH4 EMISSION R E D U C T I O N The European potential of CH4 emission reduction in 2005 and 2010 has been determined considering the < scenario i.e. current national environment policies in each Member State. Table 5 gives anthropogenic emissions in the European Union (12 Member States) in 2005 and 2010 considering an existing policies scenario.

kt CH4/year

1990

2005

2010

IENERGY

4659

3795

Combustion !Extraction of fossil fuels Gas distribution Transport

446 3085 977 151

500 2193 896 206

3478 518 1868 868

WASTE Landfills Waste incineration

5819

5172 5156 16

4975

5805 14

AGRICULTURE Ruminant livestock Livestock manure

11321 6782 4539

10523 6470 4053

10219 6352 3867

TOTAL

21799

19490

18672

224

4958 17

Table 5. European anthropogenic CH4 emission considering an <(existing policies, scenario Except Greece, Italy and Portugal for which methane emissions are expected to increase, all Member States contribute to a reduction of emissions in the European Union. A decrease of 10.6% in 2005 and of 14.3% in 2010 could be achieved with regard to 1990 level. 5 - PROPOSED C O M M U N I T Y P R O G R A M M E F O R A C T I O N Many alternative policies could be used to promote reductions in methane emission : - regulation, - market incentives - research and development programmes - information programmes. They could be used separately or simultaneously and the recommended mix of possible policy measures can differ from one methane source to another. Choosing among these measures require a detailed evaluation of numerous criteria : - effectiveness in reducing emission, - economic impacts, - administrative feasibility, - enforceability, - compatibility with other environmental and social goals.

OUDART: STRATEGIES FOR LIMITING CH4 GAS

1191

The following recommendations are based on some existing policies and literature about coste ~ v e n e s s measures to reduce emissions. Table 6 presents the different options that could be considered as the best strategies to reduce methane emission in the European Union.

Source

:%of global nmsm

S(ralegies

2005 2010 reaaak~reg~ tothe 1990 level

31%

- _re6__~:tion~ l i v c s a ~ due to C~iiiim Agrio_,~__ralPolicy - ~ m ~ e ~ ~

70/0

10o/0

21%

- reductionoflivesa~ due to Ca~r~n Agricula~ Policy - oovn~ ~oons or~ a o b ~ m ~ s m

50°/,

70*/0

27°/0

- t m of biedegrahble waste in landfills - ~ m p o s ~ ofgreea waste -r~ahagofg~ss aKtp~t -/acinnafion o f r m degr~_ __hie waste - _re6___~mgpaekaghag -~ h r ~ i v e to pronr~ recycledproducts - r ~ o v ~ orrrma~ a m ~ ~¢e ~ n m s

450/0

6(P/0

Coal extraction

14%

- mdt~on ofc(~l extraclion - extaing paieies ha m m ~ States - BAT cxacice to improveOt4 recox~ in eurolmn mines

35%

50%

C_m~on

5%

- ¢xislingpolicies in m m t ~ Stal~ -rep~ of oldestl~m of gas disaibufon network -m~ngofp~~a~m~r

15%

20%

E ~ r ~ ~

Anknal ~rax~re

Table 6. Strategies for limiting methane emission in EU By implementation o f these strategies in all Member States, a decrease o f 30% in 2005 and o f 41% in 2010 with regard to the 1990 level could be achieved in the European Community.

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OUDART: STRATEGIES FOR LIMITING CH4 GAS

REFERENCES

(1) OECD Preliminary IPCC National GHG inventories : in-depth review - Part II IPCC - Working Group I - Bracknell - UK - April 1993 (2) IPCC Climate Change - The IPCC Response Strategies I s l a n d P r e s s - U K - 1991

(3)

IPCC Climate change 1992 - The supplementary report to the IPCC Scientific assessement Cambridge University Press - 1992

(4)

CITEPA Possibilities o f control o f Greenhouse gases emissions other than CO2 in the European Community - Volume 1 - September 1992

(5)

US EPA - Global Change division Options for reducing Methane emissions Internationally Vol 1 : Technological options for reducing methane emissions Report to congress - December 1992

(6) K.B. H O G A N Methane reductions are cost-effective approach for International Worhshop Methane and Nitrous acide Amersfoort - Netherlands - February 1993

(7)

reducing emissions

o f greenhouse gases -

D. DE JAGER, K.BLOK Cost-effectiveness o f emission - reducing measures for methane in the Netherlands ECOFYS - Mays 1993