Effectively promoting greenhouse gas storage in Australia

2009 ◽  
Vol 49 (2) ◽  
pp. 578
Author(s):  
John Torkington

The underground storage of greenhouse gases is seen by many as one of the primary technologies by which fossil fuel dependent nations can reduce their greenhouse gas emissions. Consequently there is a societal need to consider how best to facilitate the commercial scale uptake of this technology. Two principal barriers remain to the commercial scale deployment of greenhouse gas storage. Existing capture technologies are very expensive and there remains community concern that the underground storage of greenhouse gases is not permanent. It is likely that the natural gas industry will continue to be world leaders in the commercial-scale deployment of greenhouse gas storage, as this industry already captures large volumes of carbon dioxide and is familiar with underground storage technologies. In time, increased commercial scale deployment by the natural gas industry will build community confidence in the technology thus facilitating deployment by other industry sectors. Opportunities to promote greenhouse gas storage in Australia need to be considered in the broader policy context, which should be to reduce Australia’s greenhouse gas emissions at the lowest possible cost to the community. This extended abstract reviews the various ways in which greenhouse gas storage can be promoted and tests these in light of this broader policy context. The paper identifies those opportunities that should be pursued to promote the commercial scale uptake of greenhouse gas storage and flags those opportunities that, while they might assist in the uptake, are incompatible with the broader policy objective.

2010 ◽  
Vol 50 (2) ◽  
pp. 696
Author(s):  
Karen Ritter ◽  
James Keating ◽  
Terri Shires ◽  
Miriam Lev-On

With the increased focus on greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) and their role in the implementation of policy measures for their mitigation, there continues to be a need for accurate, reliable and transparent characterisation of these emissions. A myriad of mandatory reporting regulations and voluntary initiatives with diverse protocols and methodologies are emerging globally. This poses a particular challenge to multinational companies, such as in the oil and natural gas industry sector, which operate globally and in joint ventures. The American Petroleum Institute (API) and its member companies recognised these challenges over a decade ago and launched a multi-year initiative to map out and provide tools for the quantification of GHG emissions from oil and natural gas industry operations and similar industrial sources. During this time span, the industry developed several key guidance documents to promote the consistent and accurate quantification and reporting of GHG emissions. This paper will focus on two recent publications: the 2009 Edition of API’s Compendium of GHG Emissions Estimation Methodologies for the Oil and Gas Industry (3rd revision); and, a new document addressing technical considerations and statistical calculation methods for assessing the uncertainty of GHG emission estimates. The paper will discuss case studies pertinent to oil and natural gas exploration and production activities and will put these in context with emerging US mandatory GHG emissions reporting. It will also discuss the broad applicability of these estimation methods, and uncertainty considerations, to most industry sectors that rely on fossil fuels for their energy sources.


2021 ◽  
Vol 2021 (1) ◽  
pp. 4-13
Author(s):  
I.Ch. Leshchenko ◽  

The purpose of this paper is to explore the influence of the new Ukrainian and European regulatory framework for 2019-2020 concerning the decarburization of economy of the functioning of Ukrainian gas industry. The paper provides an overview of the Ukrainian regulatory framework of 2019–2020 on the implementation of the system of monitoring, reporting, and verification of greenhouse gas emissions in our country. We also provide an overview of new European documents on the decarbonisation of economy, in particular, the European Green Deal, the EU Strategy for Reducing Methane Emissions, and the Hydrogen Strategy for Climate-Neutral Europe. We showed that these EU documents will exert a significant influence on the functioning of both the energy sector of our country as a whole and its part – gas industry. The paper shows that, under the existing plans of the development of energy sector in European countries in order to reach the state where there are no net emissions of greenhouse gases by 2050 and under conditions of fierce competition for sources and routes of gas supply to the European market, the most pressing problem confronting the gas transportation system of Ukraine is to optimize its structure with simultaneous replacement of outdated compressor equipment by modern one with lower carbon dioxide emissions, which will require a significant amount of investment. Under such conditions, it is necessary to study carefully the feasibility of introducing activities for the main transportation of gas under the action of Greenhouse Gas Trading System. We also showed that the reduction of methane emissions along the natural gas chain supply in accordance with the EU Strategy for the reduction of methane emissions is extremely important for Ukraine. In addition to the implementation of measures for reducing these emissions, it is necessary to attract attention to the development of national methods for estimating methane emissions and the use of national coefficients in the formation of the National Greenhouse gas emissions inventory for estimating volatile emissions from natural gas activities. Keywords: monitoring, reporting and verification of greenhouse gas emissions, Greenhouse Gas Trading System, decarbonisation, European Green Deal, gas transportation system


2017 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-8
Author(s):  
Andrew R. Kear

Natural gas is an increasingly vital U.S. energy source that is presently being tapped and transported across state and international boundaries. Controversy engulfs natural gas, from the hydraulic fracturing process used to liberate it from massive, gas-laden Appalachian shale deposits, to the permitting and construction of new interstate pipelines bringing it to markets. This case explores the controversy flowing from the proposed 256-mile-long interstate Nexus pipeline transecting northern Ohio, southeastern Michigan and terminating at the Dawn Hub in Ontario, Canada. As the lead agency regulating and permitting interstate pipelines, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission is also tasked with mitigating environmental risks through the 1969 National Environmental Policy Act's Environmental Impact Statement process. Pipeline opponents assert that a captured federal agency ignores public and scientific input, inadequately addresses public health and safety risks, preempts local control, and wields eminent domain powers at the expense of landowners, cities, and everyone in the pipeline path. Proponents counter that pipelines are the safest means of transporting domestically abundant, cleaner burning, affordable gas to markets that will boost local and regional economies and serve the public good. Debates over what constitutes the public good are only one set in a long list of contentious issues including pipeline safety, proposed routes, property rights, public voice, and questions over the scientific and democratic validity of the Environmental Impact Statement process. The Nexus pipeline provides a sobering example that simple energy policy solutions and compromise are elusive—effectively fueling greater conflict as the natural gas industry booms.


2017 ◽  
Vol 4 (3) ◽  
pp. 62-72
Author(s):  
O. Zhukorsky ◽  
O. Nykyforuk ◽  
N. Boltyk

Aim. Proper development of animal breeding in the conditions of current global problems and the decrease of anthropogenic burden on environment due to greenhouse gas emissions, caused by animal breeding activity, require the study of interaction processes between animal breeding and external climatic conditions. Methods. The theoretical substantiation of the problem was performed based on scientifi c literature, statistical informa- tion of the UN Food and Agriculture Organization and the data of the National greenhouse gas emissions inventory in Ukraine. Theoretically possible emissions of greenhouse gases into atmosphere due to animal breeding in Ukraine and specifi c farms are calculated by the international methods using the statistical infor- mation about animal breeding in Ukraine and the economic-technological information of the activity of the investigated farms. Results. The interaction between the animal breeding production and weather-and-climate conditions of environment was analyzed. Possible vectors of activity for the industry, which promote global warming and negative processes, related to it, were determined. The main factors, affecting the formation of greenhouse gases from the activity of enterprises, aimed at animal breeding production, were characterized. Literature data, statistical data and calculations were used to analyze the role of animal breeding in the green- house gas emissions in global and national framework as well as at the level of specifi c farms with the consid- eration of individual specifi cities of these farms. Conclusions. Current global problems require clear balance between constant development of sustainable animal breeding and the decrease of the carbon footprint due to the activity of animal breeding.


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