Greenhouse Gas Mitigation through Collection and Utilisation of High Volume Low Concentration Methane Emissions

Reduction of greenhouse gas emissions is an objective of Government, industry and the community generally in an attempt to reduce the possible risk of global warming from GHG emissions.

Utilisation of methane in ventilation air, although not in general use, presents an opportunity to use the considerable volumes of mine methane that is currently vented into the atmosphere. The proposal offers substantial GHG abatement opportunities.

Power station boilers offer an attractive method of disposal of the low concentration methane emissions exhausted from coal mines and the turbo-generators to which they supply steam provide the method of recovering the chemical energy in methane by converting it to electricity.

The proximity of Wyee Colliery and Vales Point power station presented the opportunity to test the concept.

This report deals with a research project aimed at examining and demonstrating the concept of directing mine ventilation air into a coal-fired power station furnace.