Substantial methane emissions from abandoned coal mines in China

Chen, Di; Chen, Ao; Hu, Xiaoyi; Li, Bowei; Li, Xinhe; Guo, Liya; Feng, Rui; Yang, Yang; Fang, Xuekun

doi:10.1016/j.envres.2022.113944

Cited by 26 publications

(5 citation statements)

References 21 publications

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“…Consequently, the stable atmospheric conditions during winter can lead to the accumulation of pollutants closer to the ground, impacting the detection of CH4 emissions. Although the region has strict rules in regulating the process of CH4, a by-product of coal mining, underground coal mines in Shanxi releases CH4 from ground may come from abandoned coal mines or illegal mining (Chen et al, 2022a). Therefore, the identification of these plumes will help mitigate CH4 emissions over this region.…”

Section: Loitxate Et Al 2021) 70mentioning

confidence: 99%

A survey of methane point source emissions from coal mines in Shanxi province of China using AHSI on board Gaofen-5B

He,

Gao,

Liang

et al. 2023

Preprint

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Abstract. Satellite-based detection of methane (CH4) point sources is crucial in identifying and mitigating anthropogenic emissions of CH4, a potent greenhouse gas. Previous studies have indicated the presence of CH4 point source emissions from coal mines in Shanxi, China, an important source region with large CH4 emissions, but a comprehensive survey has remained elusive. This study aims to conduct a survey of CH4 point sources over Shanxi's coal mines based on observations of the Advanced HyperSpectral Imager (AHSI) on board the Gaofen-5B satellite (GF-5B/AHSI) between 2021 and 2023. The spectral shift in center wavelength and change in full-width-half-maximum (FWHM) are estimated for all spectra channels, which are used as inputs for retrieving the enhancement of column-averaged dry-air mole fraction of CH4 (ΔXCH4) using a matched-filter based algorithm. Our results show that the spectral calibration on GF-5B/AHSI reduced estimation biases of emission flux rate by up to 5.0 %. We applied the flood-fill algorithm to automatically extract emission plumes from ΔXCH4 maps. We adopted the integrated mass enhancement (IME) model to estimate the emission flux rate values from each CH4 point source. Consequently, we detected CH4 point sources in 32 coal mines with 93 plume events in Shanxi province. The estimated emission flux rate ranges from 857.67 ± 207.34 kg·h-1 to 14333.02 ± 5249.32 kg·h-1. The total emission flux rate reaches 13.26 t·h-1 in Shanxi, assuming all point sources emit simultaneously. Our results show that wind speed is the dominant source of uncertainty contributing about 84.84 % to the total uncertainty in emission flux rate estimation. Interestingly, we found a number of false positive detections due to solar panels that are widely spread in Shanxi. This study also evaluates the accuracy of wind fields in ECMWF ERA5 reanalysis by comparing with ground-based meteorological station. We found large discrepancy, especially in wind direction, suggesting incorporating local meteorological measurements into the study CH4 point source are important to achieve high accuracy. The study demonstrates that GF-5B/AHSI possesses capabilities for monitoring large CH4 point sources over complex surface characteristics in Shanxi.

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Section: Loitxate Et Al 2021) 70mentioning

confidence: 99%

A survey of methane point source emissions from coal mines in Shanxi province of China using AHSI on board Gaofen-5B

He,

Gao,

Liang

et al. 2023

Preprint

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“…Recent literature and analysis of China's methane emissions and mitigation potential has mostly focused on speci c sectors, such as coal mining (Sheng et al 2019, Gao et al 2021, Chen et al 2022, Zhu et al 2022, IEA 2023 and agriculture (Zeng et al 2020, Xia et al 2023) and, less commonly, solid waste (Du et al 2019, Zhu et al 2023. These studies explore sector-speci c data sources, challenges, and mitigation opportunities in detail but do not provide a comprehensive national view of methane emissions and opportunities, and only a few attempted to quantify areas of uncertainty.…”

Section: Main Textmentioning

confidence: 99%

China’s Methane Mitigation Potential: An Assessment of Costs and Uncertainties through 2060

Lin,

Khanna,

Liu

et al. 2023

Preprint

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China, the world’s largest methane emitter, is increasingly focused on methane mitigation in support of its climate goals, but gaps exist in the understanding of key methane sources as well as mitigation opportunities and their associated uncertainties. We use a bottom-up modeling approach with updated methane emission projections and abatement cost analysis to account for additional sources, uncertainties, and mitigation measures in China’s energy and agricultural sectors. Our results underscore the significant cost-effective potential for reducing methane emissions in China by 2030, with 660 MtCO2e possible with average abatement costs of US$6.40/tCO2e. Most of this potential exists in the energy sector, particularly coal mining, but greater potential will shift towards agriculture by 2060. Aquaculture and biochar applications in rice cultivation have net economic benefits but need greater support for deployment, while new mitigation measures will be needed for remaining emissions from enteric fermentation, rice cultivation, and wastewater.

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“…Methane is one of the greenhouse gases (GHGs) responsible for the global warming crisis. 1 Crude oil, 2 coal, 3 and natural gas 4 are currently the primary energy sources for human activities. These energy sources all release methane.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Direct conversion of methane to value-added hydrocarbons using hybrid catalysts of Ni/Al₂O₃ and K–Co/Al₂O₃

et al. 2023

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Substantial methane emissions from abandoned coal mines in China

Cited by 26 publications

References 21 publications

A survey of methane point source emissions from coal mines in Shanxi province of China using AHSI on board Gaofen-5B

A survey of methane point source emissions from coal mines in Shanxi province of China using AHSI on board Gaofen-5B

China’s Methane Mitigation Potential: An Assessment of Costs and Uncertainties through 2060

Direct conversion of methane to value-added hydrocarbons using hybrid catalysts of Ni/Al₂O₃ and K–Co/Al₂O₃

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Substantial methane emissions from abandoned coal mines in China

Cited by 26 publications

References 21 publications

A survey of methane point source emissions from coal mines in Shanxi province of China using AHSI on board Gaofen-5B

A survey of methane point source emissions from coal mines in Shanxi province of China using AHSI on board Gaofen-5B

China’s Methane Mitigation Potential: An Assessment of Costs and Uncertainties through 2060

Direct conversion of methane to value-added hydrocarbons using hybrid catalysts of Ni/Al2O3 and K–Co/Al2O3

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Product

Resources

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Direct conversion of methane to value-added hydrocarbons using hybrid catalysts of Ni/Al₂O₃ and K–Co/Al₂O₃