An international standard proposal titled Method for Monitoring and Measurement of Methane Fugitive Emissions in Coal Mining Areas has recently been approved for development by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO). The proposal was led by NICE under CHN Energy and jointly submitted with China University of Mining and Technology, the National Institute of Metrology, the China Academy of Safety Science and Technology, and other organizations.
The proposal was reviewed and approved by ISO Technical Committee 263 on Coalbed Methane (ISO/TC 263), marking the launch of the world's first international standardization project dedicated to methane emission monitoring and accounting in coal mining areas.
Methane is a potent greenhouse gas with an exceptionally high global warming potential, and coal mining is a major source of fugitive methane emissions. The newly approved standard focuses on methods for monitoring, quantifying and accounting for methane emissions in coal mining areas.
It incorporates an integrated space-air-ground monitoring approach, bringing together multiple monitoring methods, including aerial surveys, fixed-point ground monitoring and mobile monitoring. It also provides comprehensive technical guidance on monitoring technologies, measurement requirements, data quality management, calculation procedures and reporting systems.
The standard aims to provide coal mining companies and regulatory authorities worldwide with a unified, scientific and practical methodological framework for developing methane emission monitoring strategies. It will help address the current challenges of inconsistent data standards across countries and the lack of a comparable basis for emissions reduction efforts.
