Talking at an occasion organised by Eco-Enterprise, Dr Shareen Yawanarajah, senior director, world power transition at local weather advocacy group Environmental Protection Fund (EDF), stated that whereas agriculture and waste landfills are main methane sources, oil and fuel methane emissions are “low hanging fruit” as a result of discount applied sciences are extra available.
In line with EDF analysis, 90 per cent of oil and fuel infrastructure methane emissions come from leaks from gear reminiscent of oil wells, tanks or from venting. Applied sciences to cease leaks can reroute methane again into gasoline techniques as an alternative of burning or releasing it, or exchange management techniques that launch methane with people who use compressed air.
Peter Godfrey (pictured, far left) addresses the panel, which included (from left) Eco-Enterprise founder Jessica Cheam, EDF director Shareen Yawanarajah, ACE director Beni Suryadi, and Power Market Authority’s Toh Wee Khiang. Picture: Eco-Enterprise
Yawanarajah, who beforehand labored for oil main Shell, famous that capturing methane offered financial alternatives for oil and fuel corporations, as it may be used as gasoline.
“Wasted methane is wasted power. We need to maintain each molecule within the pipe or within the ship,” she stated.
The Eco-Enterprise panel dialogue was hosted in partnership with EDF, and audio system debated methods that Asia’s power sector ought to prioritise to fast-track decarbonisation.
A current research discovered that Malaysia’s upstream oil and fuel business might earn US$8.2 to US$11 million in web income from managing methane emissions. Yawanarajah famous that higher methane administration in Japan might energy 35 per cent of the nation’s residential and industrial pure fuel use.
Speedy cuts in methane emissions from fossil fuels might keep away from as much as 0.1°C in world temperature rise by 2050, in keeping with the Worldwide Power Company. The fuel has 80 instances the worldwide warming potential of carbon dioxide over a 20-year interval.
Asia is a crucial area for methane, as 60 per cent of pure fuel demand is projected to be pushed by the area by 2050, and 60 per cent of world methane emissions will come from Asia by mid-century. Greater than 100 international locations, together with Japan and Korea, dedicated to slash methane emissions by 30 per cent by 2030 on the COP26 local weather talks in 2021.
Nevertheless, progress in Southeast Asia to curb methane air pollution has been “not so good”, commented Beni Suryadi, performing government director of the Asean Centre for Power (ACE), a Jakarta-based intergovernmental suppose tank. Utilizing power depth as a proxy for methane launch, Suryadi stated that Asean was “far-off” from hitting a 32 per cent power depth discount goal by subsequent 12 months.
A scarcity of laws to watch and management methane emissions, in addition to poor information high quality have been cited as obstacles to lowering methane air pollution in Southeast Asia.
Yawanarajah stated an issue was inertia amongst international locations that import pure fuel and argue that duty for slicing methane emissions lies upstream. “Patrons have a duty [to address methane pollution] too. They’ll set the standards for consumers to fulfill sure requirements for emissions,” she stated.
Suryadi stated that methane air pollution is a rising concern for Southeast Asia, because the area’s fossil fuel-based power demand is projected to develop by 260 per cent by 2050. “International locations have made commitments [to decarbonise], however should you take a look at the tendencies, Asean will proceed to depend on oil, fuel and coal for the foreseeable future,” he stated.
ACE has projected that oil and fuel will nonetheless contribute over 60 per cent of the area’s major power provide in 2050, even if the regional bloc boosts the share of renewables within the power combine. ACE is working with the World Financial institution to develop a software for oil and fuel companies to regulate their methane footprint.
Peter Godfrey, Asia Pacific managing director of Power Institute, a membership physique for power sector professionals, famous that fifty oil and fuel corporations, together with the world’s largest oil firm Aramco, dedicated to chop methane to near-zero by 2030 on the final COP local weather talks in Dubai, however progress in the direction of assembly that concentrate on has been sluggish.
Yawanarajah acknowledged that finance and capability have been respectable limitations to adoption for methane mitigation applied sciences, however the prospect of regulation – a payment on methane air pollution was launched in the USA earlier this 12 months – ought to nudge business to maneuver quicker on methane.
Yawanarajah additionally added that there may be a necessity for higher transparency over methane air pollution. Whereas oil and fuel business gamers have pledged to watch progress by way of the International Methane Pledge, EDF not too long ago launched its personal satellite-based system to measure methane launch.
“The info will likely be publicly out there, so there will likely be nowhere for polluters to cover,” she stated.
Negotiators at the moment are making ready to move for the COP29 world local weather summit, and the talks are occurring at a time when methane ranges are accumulating within the ambiance “quicker than at any time skilled throughout human existence”, in keeping with the United Nations climate company, World Meteorological Organisation.
The UN additionally stated that the planet is on the right track to heat by 3.1 levels Celsius above pre-industrial ranges at present emissions charges, which scientists warn will imply protracted warmth waves, crop failure, and will increase in insect-borne illnesses.
