Satellite images from the European Space Agency showed a massive plume of methane in the city of Yangquan in northeastern Shanxi, China’s largest coal-producing province. Geoanalytics firm Kairos SAS said it possibly came from several mining operations. Data from Shanxi Energy Bureau showed 34 coal mines are operating in the region. Kairos said the plume represented several hundred metric tons per hour of methane emissions.
For comparison, emissions from 800,000 cars driving 60 miles per hour have the same level of a climate warming effect in the first two decades, according to the Environmental Defense Fund. Methane is a more potent greenhouse gas than CO2 but is often overlooked. Methane traps 84 times more heat per mass unit than CO2 over a two-decade period in the atmosphere.
China has pledged to begin reducing coal use by 2026 and reach carbon neutrality by 2060. However, it is expected to remain one of the world’s largest coal consumers and producers until then. Efforts on reducing coal use have been focusing on its CO2 emissions when it is burned. However, it is worth noting that coal miners often release trapped methane underground into the atmosphere to reduce the risk of explosion. Mines also continue to leak methane after being abandoned or closed.
