First mine methane project listed with ARB

It has been made public by the California Air Resources Board (ARB), regulators of the state’s pioneering cap-and-trade programme, that the first coal mine methane (CMM) capture offset project had applied for the conversion of 80,766 credits from Climate Reserve Tonnes (CRTs) to ARB offset credits (ARBOCs) through the early action mechanism. ARBOCs can be used by firms with emissions covered under the cap-and-trade programme to account for up to 8% of their obligations in any given compliance year. In total, projects worth 16,905,434 offset credits have applied for early action conversions. So far, 7,047,523 ARBOCs have completed conversion.

The VAMOX Demonstration Project at JWR Shaft No. 4-9 was first listed with the Climate Action Reserve (CAR) in January 2010 as CAR577. The CAR listing states that the “project activity involves the use of a 30,000 scfm VAMOX® regenerative thermal oxidation demonstration unit to destroy a portion of the GHG emissions from JWR’s shaft No. 4-9'. Quebec-based Biothermica manufactures mine methane capture and destruction equipment, and will be hoping the generation of ARBOCs by their demonstration project will bring a sales benefit.

Four other mine methane projects have been listed with CAR and are expected to be eligible for early action. Of these, two – Solvay Chemicals’ Green River Trona Mine and Verdeo Sindicatum’s Verdeo McElroy VAM Abatement Project – have earned a combined 449,077 CRTs, and could potentially look to list for ARBOC conversion. In addition, Verified Carbon Standard (VCS) mine methane projects are also eligible for the California offset program. Mine methane capture was approved as the fifth project type in California cap and trade at the Board meeting in April, and was officially introduced on 1 July.

Edited by Sam Dodson

Read the article online at: https://www.worldcoal.com/cbm/07102014/californian-coal-mine-methane-project-cbm121/