Mine gas or coal mine methane is the term given to the gas released from coal seams during and after mining operations. Methane is released into the atmosphere when coal seams are extracted and continues to be released at a lower rate long after the mines are abandoned. In the UK, there are over 1000 disused coal mines and DEFRA research supports the industry view that these mines are responsible for substantial UK methane emissions.
Following the recent completion of its work on mine gas emissions DEFRA has put an estimate of about 50,000 tonnes per annum of coal mine methane emissions from abandoned coal mines into the National Atmospheric Emissions inventory. This is equivalent to more than 1 million tonnes of CO2. If all these emissions were captured they could support at least 30MW of electricity generating capacity. Alkane has developed state-of-the-art technology over the last 10 years to capture and harness this gas to generate clean, renewable energy.
Alkane has seven mine gas capture plants operating in the UK and one in Germany with three others planned for development in Germany. The company’s inventory of mines is being researched again in the light of recent large increases in the price of electricity and it is planned that additional developments will be carried out in the UK in 2006/7.
| Site | Location | Capacity (MW) | Max CO2 mitigation (tonnes) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bevercotes | Nottinghamshire (UK) | 4.1 | 87,000 |
| Markham | Derbyshire (UK) | 1.35 | 29,000 |
| Shirebrook | Derbyshire (UK) | 5.5 | 211,000 |
| Wheldale | West Yorkshire (UK) | 5.5 | 144,000 |
| Rexam | South Yorkshire (UK) | 0.05 (equivalent) | 2,000 |
| Joarin | Germany | 1.8 | 43,000 |
| Total | 18.3 | 516,000 |
Methane Control in Coal Mine Atmospheres
Alkane supplies safety systems that extract methane from gas drainage systems installed in working coal mines.
The tragic loss of life caused by methane explosions in coal mines in developing countries has created considerable interest in improving safety underground by controlling methane emission into mine atmosphere. Alkane’s methane extraction technology has been adapted for this purpose and its first operating mine gas emissions control system is due to be installed in a new Iranian coal mine in 2006. The commitment of mine managers and Governments to improve the safety of operating coal mines has reinforced the message that mine atmosphere management is critical to the safety of working coal mines and considerable interest in Alkane’ systems has been shown by visiting mining delegations from India, China and Russia.
