GERG ‘Technology Benchmark for site level methane emissions quantification’ – Phase II.A

September 2021
– January 2022

This project seeks to provide participants further knowledge on how to use new top-down and site level technologies for greater accuracy, since the gas industry is normally using the bottom-up approach to detect and quantify methane emissions. The top-down approach can provide comprehensive information about emissions at a site or in a region, while bottom-up approach focuses on individual sources and equipment.

After a rewarding phase I of this GERG project lead by RICE, where a state-of-the-art study of site level technologies was developed, the phase II.A. was defined.

The objective of this next phase is to analyse the accuracy and repeatability of the most promising site level technologies to quantify methane emissions. For this, these technologies were selected according to the results of Phase I.  This will help to improve the knowledge on and the use of new technologies to quantify and drastically reduce methane emissions in midstream infrastructures.

This phase of the project consists of a series of blind tests with abouve-ground controlled releases. It is coordinated by Enagás and supported by Bureau Veritas as a field coordinator, with the collaboration of other 12 partners.

This initiative is in line with the objective of the European Commission to develop legislation before the end of 2021 to improve quantification and reduce methane emissions in the energy sector.

This phase has been divided into 4 different WPs:

  • WP1: Detailed definition and preparation of tests
  • WP2: Implementation of tests
  • WP3: Analysis of results: assessment of methane emissions quantification
  • WP4: Definition of next steps for Phase II.B. (tests in sites)

The tests successfully took place during the week of the 4 October 2021 in Spain. In this tests 12 different technologies were tested: 

  • 9 Top-down / site-level technologies
  • 3 bottom-up technologies

Partners