New EU Legislation on Reducing Methane Emissions Expected in 2021

In October 2020, the European Commission sent a communication announcing the development of a new EU strategy to reduce methane emissions. The first public consultation ended on the 26th of January 2021, with stakeholders feeding the commission with proposals to help with the preparation for new EU legislation to further reduce methane emissions in the energy sector.

In total, 79 items of feedback were provided during this initial 12-week consultation. Contributors included EU and non-EU citizens, academic and other research institutions, public authorities, business and trade associations, environmental organisations, NGOs, energy companies and technology providers.

Amongst this feedback, there appears to be a trend from some stakeholders to consider and validate methodologies used by initiatives such as UNEP’s new OGMP framework, the Clean Air Task Force’s Inception Impact Assessment, the Methane Guiding Principles, the Oil and Gas Climate Initiative, The Environmental Partnership, and ONE Future as a foundation for improving measurement, reporting and verification (MRV) practices.

As with all new pieces of legislation, collaboration will be a vital part of the process in devising it. The second public consultation period for feedback is now open (5^th February 2021 to 1^st May 2021) and stakeholders are invited to contribute their views via a structured questionnaire. 

Which technologies could be specified within the new EU legislation for methane emission leak detection?

The first step to overcoming the issue of methane emissions is fully understanding them, which is why methane monitoring is a must in terms of quantifying the scale of the problem so that it can be adequately addressed. The Commission’s feedback questionnaire has a technical focus and aims to elicit views on what types of instruments may help with measuring methane emissions within several sectors.

The eight sectors identified in this part of the process are production, processing, LNG terminals, transmission pipelines, transmission compressor stations, underground storage, distribution pipelines and distribution pressure regulating and metering stations. Recommendations are being sought for a range of devices, as well as opinions on whether they are viewed as appropriate for each of the eight sectors.

The technologies included within the questionnaire include optical gas imaging (OGI), flame ionisation detectors, ultrasonic detectors, fixed detectors, soap spray/soap bubble screening, bagging, high flow samplers, mass flow meters, laser detectors, catalytic bead sensors, semiconductor detectors, electrochemical detectors, cavity ring down spectroscopy, radial plume mapping, mobile gas chromatography, tracer gas release, mobile ground labs, unmanned ariel vehicles, manned aircraft and satellites.

It remains to be seen which of these technologies will win through in each particular sector. Much depends on the outcome of the second public consultation, in which you are welcome to take part.

You can help to make the European Green Deal a reality

International Environmental Technology invites its readers to take part in this consultation and contribute to the process, thus helping the EU to meet its objectives for reducing methane emissions. The second public consultation feedback period ends on 1^st May 2021, so interested parties are encouraged to participate as soon as possible.

You can also stay updated on the latest research, environmental legislation, methods and technologies for monitoring, analysing and testing for methane emissions via our website. Click here to subscribe to a free copy of International Environmental Technology.