| Project Detail |
REMEDY (Reducing Emissions of Methane Every Day of the Year) aims to reduce methane emissions from three sources in the oil, gas, and coal value chains: (1) exhaust from 50,000 natural gas-fired lean-burn engines used to drive compressors, generate electricity, and increasingly repower ships, (2) the estimated 300,000 flares required for safe operation of oil and gas facilities, and (3) coal mine ventilation of air and methane exhausted from 250 operating underground mines. These sources are responsible for at least 10% of U.S. anthropogenic methane emissions. Reducing emissions of methane, which has a high greenhouse gas warming potential, will ameliorate climate change. The intent is to de-risk and identify economies of scale for the proposed systems so they can advance to commercialization.
Project Innovation + Advantages:
Johnson Matthey, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, and Consol Energy will adapt the Catalytic Oxidation METhane (COMET™) methane abatement system to convert vent air methane at a Consol Energy coal mining site. The COMET methane system has shown potential for controlling dilute methane emissions. The team will use cost-effective technology to achieve over 99.5% methane conversion efficiency at temperatures below 1112 ºF for methane concentration in the range of 0.1-1.6%, representing nearly all ventilation air methane sources in the U.S. The work will focus on further developing the catalyst itself, concentrating on economic viability through mass producible formulations, maintaining low temperature activity, and optimizing precious metal loading. Then the team will conduct a field demonstration at the Consol Energy site, where a small portion of the exhaust air will be treated through the prototype system.
Potential Impact:
REMEDY addresses methane emissions from domestic oil, gas, and coal value chains, accounting for 78% of U.S. primary energy. |
