Emissions Roadmap Resource Manual: Report 1: Tier 2-Tier 3 Reporting Requirements for Fugitive Emissions from Open Cut Coal Mining - Workshop Report. Report 2: Mine Site Atmospheric Emissions Manual Rpt 3: Roadmap of Greenhouse Gas Emissions Coal Prod

Fugitive seam gas emissions contribute a significant proportion of the greenhouse gases emitted from coal mining, but estimates remain subject to a large uncertainty.  Since 1998 ACARP has funded a range of projects with the objective on improving the accuracy of emissions estimation techniques.  This project was funded to review progress to date and document it in a form that would be of value to mine sites.

Three reports have been produced:

REPORT 1: Tier 2-Tier 3 Reporting Requirements for Fugitive Emissions from Open Cut Coal Mining - Workshop Report.
Estimation of fugitive emissions from open cut operations is particularly problematic.  To define future R&D requirements, a workshop was held at CSIRO, North Ryde on 21 July 2006 to provide the opportunity for industry representatives to assist in the development of the research plan and to maximise the benefit to the coal mining industry.

The workshop was structured as a series of presentations given by researchers, describing past and current research, and industry presenters who outlined the industry’s perspectives. The presentations were followed by a facilitated discussion where the requirements for a Tier 2/Tier 3 methodology for estimating fugitives from open cut mines and how best to achieve it, were considered. This report provides a summary of this workshop.

REPORT 2: Mine Site Atmospheric Emissions Manual
Much of the available material on greenhouse gas emissions is written with the technical specialist in mind.  This manual was commissioned with the purpose of presenting pertinent information on greenhouse and other atmospheric emissions in a format suited those requiring a broad appreciation of emissions rather than a detailed understanding.  The magnitude and source of emissions is considered, emphasising the uncertainty of estimation methods.

REPORT 3: Roadmap of Greenhouse Gas Emissions Coal Production
This report is aimed at mine-site personnel closely associated with estimating emissions, and provides a “roadmap” to identify the main greenhouse emission points along the coal production chain with a view to the following:

• the magnitude of emissions at each point,
• the uncertainties associated with the estimates,
• identify areas requiring further research to reduce uncertainty, and
• identify areas where mitigation strategies would be appropriate.

The study involved gathering greenhouse emissions data from a wide range of mines and developing case studies to provide a detailed picture of the emission patterns of these mines from exploration through to transport of the product coal to the end user. Emissions data were collected from seven underground and five open cut coal mines   throughout NSW and Qld and covered energy use, transport, underground fugitives, open cut fugitives, post mining emissions, spontaneous combustion and mitigation opportunities.