{"id":64607,"date":"2024-08-15T10:43:38","date_gmt":"2024-08-15T17:43:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/energi.media\/?p=64607"},"modified":"2024-08-15T10:43:45","modified_gmt":"2024-08-15T17:43:45","slug":"opinion-lets-get-smarter-about-methane-the-vital-role-of-canadas-methane-centre-of-excellence","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/energi.media\/opinion\/opinion-lets-get-smarter-about-methane-the-vital-role-of-canadas-methane-centre-of-excellence\/","title":{"rendered":"Opinion: Let\u2019s get smarter about methane – the vital role of Canada\u2019s Methane Centre of Excellence"},"content":{"rendered":"

This article was published by the Pembina Institute<\/a> on Aug. 14, 2024.<\/em><\/p>\n

By <\/strong><\/em>Amanda Bryant<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

Researchers across the country are submitting full\u00a0project proposals<\/a>\u00a0this week as part of Natural Resources Canada\u2019s developing\u00a0Methane Centre of Excellence<\/a>. Environment Minister Stephen Guilbeault\u00a0announced<\/a>\u00a0$30 million for the Centre last year at COP28, alongside the federal government\u2019s\u00a0draft amendments<\/a> to its oil and gas methane regulations. Those regulations are designed to achieve a 75 per cent reduction of oil and gas methane emissions by 2030 (from 2012 levels).<\/p>\n

The Pembina Institute and other environmental organizations have long advocated for a Methane Centre of Excellence to address data quality issues and move Canada toward improved measurement, monitoring, reporting and verification (MMRV). With a stated focus on energy sector methane and MMRV, the Methane Centre of Excellence has the potential to improve our collective understanding of oil and gas methane emissions in Canada \u2013 if it is well-designed and adequately funded.<\/p>\n

What is methane?<\/h3>\n

Methane is a potent climate warmer, with over 80 times the warming power of carbon dioxide in a 20-year timespan and potentially severe associated\u00a0air quality and health<\/a>\u00a0impacts. Canada\u2019s oil and gas sector is responsible for\u00a0nearly 50<\/a> per cent\u00a0of Canada\u2019s human-caused methane emissions. However, proven, cost-effective solutions exist to abate those emissions \u2013 from finding and fixing leaks; to swapping out leak-prone equipment; to capturing and using or selling gas that would otherwise go to waste.<\/p>\n

What is a \u201ccentre of excellence\u201d?<\/h3>\n

A centre of excellence is a hub in which subject-matter experts convene, coordinate, and collaborate to advance the state of research, collect and analyze data, develop solutions to urgent problems, foster the development and adoption of innovation, improve or standardize methodologies, share knowledge and provide training, and\/or derive policy recommendations. For instance, the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council\u2019s\u00a0FlareNet<\/a>\u00a0Strategic Network brings together a wide range of stakeholders to quantify and minimize the impacts of energy sector gas flaring.<\/p>\n

These centres may or may not be housed in physical buildings with geographical locations. The Methane Centre of Excellence will be a virtual convening and a collection of funded research projects with thematically related research objectives.<\/p>\n

Why is a Methane Centre of Excellence needed?<\/h3>\n

While many technological solutions for oil and gas methane emissions exist, there are areas where further research and development is needed. For example, there is no established best-practice for how to prevent uncombusted methane from compressor engines escaping into the atmosphere. This will be one of the centre\u2019s focus areas. Centre of Excellence project funding will complement\u00a0provincial investments<\/a>\u00a0in technological innovation to foster made-in-Canada solutions that could eventually be exported elsewhere. Such efforts should always be paired with well-designed regulations that mandate the adoption of best available technologies, ensuring innovative solutions are put to use at scale.<\/p>\n

Moreover, methane emissions are often poorly understood and characterized. A decade of scientific research has shown that methane emissions from upstream oil and gas are significantly\u00a0underestimated and underreported<\/a>\u00a0(by roughly 1.5-2 times). That is partly due to gaps in reporting requirements, reliance on inaccurate methods of emissions estimation, and the extreme\u00a0intermittency and severity<\/a>\u00a0of methane leaks. Discrepancies also exist between reported data and national and subnational inventories. Without an accurate, shared understanding of the scope of the methane problem, it is difficult to collectively set and track progress toward reduction targets, assess outcomes and regulatory efficacy, identify gaps, and credibly tell success stories.<\/p>\n

While the science of methane measurement is rich and rapidly advancing, challenging technical questions remain, including questions about:<\/p>\n