EPA: U.S. Stimulates Global Market for Methane Recovery, Fuel Use
December 5, 2008 // Published as a news service by IHS
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Current U.S.-supported M2M projects, when fully implemented, will deliver estimated annual emissions reductions of more than 24 million metric tons of carbon dioxide, tripling the reductions achieved in 2006.
M2M reduces greenhouse gas emissions by recovering methane (a hydrocarbon that is also a primary component of natural gas) from agricultural waste, coal mines, landfills and oil and gas systems (the four Methane to Markets sectors) and using it as clean energy.
According to the report, U.S. Government Accomplishments in Support of the Methane to Markets Partnership, methane is "more than 20 times as effective at trapping heat in the atmosphere as carbon dioxide (CO2)."
Because "methane has a much shorter atmospheric lifetime than CO2...reducing methane emissions can achieve significant near-term climate, energy and economic benefits. Identifying and capitalizing on cost-effective opportunities to reduce methane emissions lowers the cost of GHG abatement over the long term and allows time for the development of alternative technologies.
"Studies indicate that feasible reductions in methane and other non-CO2 GHG emissions can help slow global warming over the next 50 years on the same scale as similar reductions in CO2 emissions.
"In addition, methane contributes to the growing global background concentration of tropospheric ozone, a greenhouse gas and an air pollutant associated with premature mortality. [R]educing methane emissions decreases surface ozone everywhere, yielding additional climate benefits as well as improvement in local air quality. Methane accounts for 16% of all GHG emissions globally, with about 60% of these emissions coming from anthropogenic (human-related) activities," said the report.
The report summarizes the contributions of participating U.S. government agencies and highlights the projects and activities since the partnership began in November 2004. The report was developed collaboratively by EPA, the U.S. Department of State, the U.S. Agency for International Development, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), the U.S. Department of Agriculture (DOA) and the U.S. Trade and Development Agency.
From November 2004 through fiscal year (FY) 2007, the U.S. has provided about $28.5 million to support M2M projects. American activities and investments have leveraged more than $271 million in public and private sector contributions from FY 2005 - FY 2007.
The partnership has grown to include 27 partner governments and more than 800 private sector entities, financial institutions, nongovernmental agencies and other organizations. For two years the EPA has held a grants competition inviting project proposals that "identify, characterize, or implement methane capture and use opportunities in developing countries or countries with economies in transition that are Methane to Markets partners."
The EPA received over 80 proposals in 2007 and awarded $4.5 million to Argentina, Brazil, China, Ecuador, India, Korea, Mexico, Mongolia, Nigeria, Poland, Thailand and Ukraine.
For more information on the Methane to Markets partnership visit the EPA web site.
Source: United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).