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FEATURE OPTICAL FILTERS Emissions impossiblE? To combat climate change quickly, we must deal with ‘the other’
greenhouse gas – methane. According to Mark Naples, managing director at Umicore Coatings Services, integrating infrared optical filters
from the company into your gas detection and analysis systems, means you can identify and monitor tiny leaks
B
usiness and government leaders increasingly recognise that there are limited ways to balance sources and sinks
of greenhouse gases (GHGs), and limit global warming to 1.5˚C, unless we reduce methane emissions. Without substantial change, the remaining carbon budget would shrink to levels that render the 1.5˚C warming target impossible. Carbon lingers in the atmosphere for
hundreds of years, but methane is much shorter-lived. The world is adapting to the issue of methane emissions; some of it through the energy transition, some through renewables, new gases and fuels, and some through the
developing carbon tax and credit markets. In yet another ominous climate change
warning, atmospheric levels of all three leading greenhouse gases – carbon dioxide, methane and nitrous oxide – reached record highs in 2021, according to the World Meteorological Organization (WMO). Cost-effective interventions to reduce
methane emissions represent a glimmer of hope in an otherwise bleak climate landscape. At Umicore Coatings Services, we see an excellent opportunity for the oil and gas industries to get ahead on methane reduction and set the benchmark.
Taking aim aT mEThanE Emissions
First, some context. A kilogram of methane emitted into the atmosphere can trap more than a hundred times more heat
than a kilogram of emitted CO2. This is because methane’s molecular structure can absorb more energy
than CO2 and because methane forms other greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, most notably in the tropospheric ozone. This means we can’t achieve our
global temperature goals without addressing methane. Beyond this, methane deserves special attention, because reducing its emissions with available strategies is the single fastest and most effective way to slow the rate of warming right now. The regulatory environment
is becoming more stringent. Capital markets are increasing scrutiny on emissions disclosures, and customers are demanding ‘greener’ products; ultimately, businesses want to do the right thing by the environment, the regulators and the market.
2 DESIGN SOLUTIONS DECEMBER/JANUARY 2023 6 By integrating infrared optical filters from
Umicore Coating Services into your gas detection and analysis systems, you can identify and monitor tiny leaks to help build your total emissions profile. Monitoring methane in your business also
makes financial sense, as the methane you emit could be sold onto the market for profit. The problem is that so many things in the industry can emit methane. And if you’re only intermittently checking for leaks in a manual process, you will likely miss things or catch them much later. That's why it is crucial to monitor for emissions and prioritise the biggest emitters first. Technical limitations mean we don’t yet have
a comprehensive global picture of methane emissions. However, the scientific community is starting to pinpoint the most significant sources, and advances in surveillance equipment have revealed hidden polluters. The first challenge is the complexity of the
system. Hundreds of thousands of pieces of equipment owned by various companies attempt to detect an invisible gas seeping out of a loose valve or compressor upstream. It’s little wonder many emissions go unnoticed by operators. Routine operations in oil and gas include
emissions from different environments and sources. If you have to repair a pipeline, you must turn off the gas and let the pressure out, temporarily increasing emissions. These ‘expected’ emissions are less of a problem, as the unexpected emissions are what we need to bring down. Businesses extracting gas to sell don’t
want to vent that product into the atmosphere. On top of that, there is intense regulatory pressure, with most governments looking to reduce GHG emissions. The degree to which both shareholder and public pressure have also driven companies to think about and reduce their emissions as much as possible can’t be understated. In the past, companies and regulatory bodies
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