Romania is the second largest emitter of methane in the European Union, responsible for 85% of the methane emitted by abandoned coal mines in the EU. If just half of that was collected and used, it could generate €75m of electricity and enough waste heat to heat nearly 19,000 hospital beds a year, according to an analysis by energy think tank Ember. 2Celsius Association.

Against this background, the authors of the report note that two major loopholes in the European Union (EU) Methane Regulation will allow coal mines to produce 2.2 million tonnes of additional methane emissions by 2050, equivalent to the combined annual CO2 emissions of Belgium. and the Czech Republic, writes Agerpres.

According to the document, Poland is currently the main responsible at the European level, accounting for two-thirds of the total methane emissions from coal mines in the EU in 2020. In this sense, 12 underground coal mines in the country are responsible. for the majority of these methane emissions (87%), and seven of these mines produce thermal coal and could be closed as a priority and replaced with other reserves with lower methane content, according to Ember’s analysis.

Romania is the second largest emitter of methane in the EU

Romania is currently the second largest emitter of methane in the EU, responsible for 85% of the methane emitted by abandoned coal mines in the EU, according to Agerpres.

Thus, the amount of methane emitted from abandoned mines exceeds the equivalent amount of carbon dioxide produced by the energy industry in one year, if the heating potential of methane over 20 years (X80 CO2e) is taken into account, the cited source said.

• “The EU regulation is aimed at limiting the amount of fugitive methane emissions that coal mines are allowed to emit, not at capturing, neutralizing or using it.
• At the end of this month, the committees of the European Parliament will vote on the latest amendments.
• The recent amendment increases the emission threshold for coal mines from 0.5 to 5 tons of methane per kiloton of coal until 2031, after which the threshold will be lowered to 3 tons. In addition, the methane regulation does not provide for a ventilation threshold for coking coal, which is used in the production of steel,” says the expert analysis.

Research by Ember shows that the latest changes to the EU Regulation will reduce methane emissions from coal mines by only 47%, well below the stated target of a 58% reduction in methane emissions.

• “This means an additional 2.2 million tons of methane by 2050, which is equivalent to an additional 180 million tons of CO2, which exceeds the annual CO2 emissions of Belgium and the Czech Republic combined,” according to the experts’ calculations.

If only half of these emissions were captured and used, it would be enough to heat nearly 19,000 hospital beds

In the case of Romania, experts estimate that if only half of these emissions were captured and used, 75 million euros of electricity could be generated, as well as enough residual heat to heat almost 19,000 hospital beds per year.

• “Methane emissions reduction regulations in the energy sector are one of the most cost-effective and technically efficient ways to reduce emissions of such a powerful greenhouse gas as methane. In fact, we have no excuse.
• If we fail to reduce emissions within our reach, we risk derailing the process of achieving climate neutrality in 2050. This means we are headed for a world where the effects of climate change will be devastating, a world we can already see in historic droughts. An event that will hit Europe in 2022,” said Mihai Stoyka, executive director of the 2Celsius association.

The cited report shows that coal mines are the largest source of methane in the EU in the energy sector. In this context, underground (coal) mines emit six times more methane than surface (lignite) mines, and in 2020 they accounted for 59% of coal mine methane emissions in the EU.

• “The proper closure of coal mines is an action that Romania must take responsibly to avoid accidents and pollution.
• For example, the Lonea and Lupeni mines in Valea Jiului have been in the process of closure since 2018 and received state aid to ensure their safety.
• However, they are not closed even today, the deadline has been extended by several government decisions. The last date for submission is 2026 under the decarbonisation law. This, together with the regulation of methane emissions, gives Romania the opportunity to green the mines in a profitable way,” says Alexandra Doroftei, Bankwatch Romania campaign coordinator.

As a guideline, Ember’s analysis highlights that coal mine emission thresholds should not exceed 3 tonnes of methane per kiloton of coal mined starting in 2027 and then reduce to one tonne of methane per kiloton of coal mined by 2030. In addition, for coking coal mines, the authors of the report recommend that the Regulation apply a ventilation threshold of a maximum of 5 tonnes of methane per kiloton of coal, starting in 2027. “Such a scenario would put the EU on the path to achieving the target reduction of emissions by 58%,” experts emphasize.

Ember is an independent, not-for-profit climate and energy think tank dedicated to cutting-edge research and high-impact, politically viable policy proposals to accelerate the global transition from coal to clean electricity.

Bankwatch Romania is an association founded in 2012 with the aim of preventing negative environmental and social impacts of public and private projects, as well as promoting sustainable alternatives and public participation in decision-making. The main area of ​​activity of the association is the reduction of pollution in the energy sector, with an emphasis on reducing the use of fossil fuels.

2Celsius is an environmental non-governmental organization established in 2010. Currently, the association is a member of the largest European environmental networks, including Transport&Environment, European Environmental Bureau and CAN Europe.