The Ministry of Ecology and Environment announced on January 6 that the newly revised Emission Standards for Coalbed Methane (Coal Mine Gas) will take effect on April 1, 2025.
Source: Science and Technology Daily
The Ministry of Ecology and Environment announced on January 6 that the newly revised Emission Standards for Coalbed Methane (Coal Mine Gas) will take effect on April 1, 2025. The updated standards are expected to reduce methane emissions by approximately 50 million tons of CO₂ equivalent annually, marking a significant step in China’s efforts to address climate change.
A spokesperson from the Ministry’s Climate Department explained that the initial Emission Standards, introduced in 2008, were implemented at a time when technologies for utilizing low-concentration methane (less than 30% methane by volume) and ventilation gas were still in their infancy. As a result, the original standards only applied to coalbed methane and extracted gas with methane concentrations exceeding 30%, leaving low-concentration methane emissions unregulated. The revised standards introduce stricter controls, including a prohibition on the release of coal mine gas with a methane concentration above 8% and an extraction rate exceeding 10 cubic meters per minute.
“This is the most significant change in the new standards,” the spokesperson noted. “By tightening emission limits and introducing new performance metrics, we aim to strengthen methane management and significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions from the coal mining sector. These updates reflect the advancements in gas extraction and utilization technologies within the industry, promoting more efficient use of coal mine gas while ensuring operational safety.”