China announces actions to promote the development and utilization of coalbed methane

5 August 2022 —The China National Energy Administration (NEA) highlighted a number of actions that China will take to promote the development and utilization of coalbed methane. The actions were described in a document posted on the NEA website, available here. These actions are expected to be further incorporated into and implemented through national policies and plans.

Methane plays an increasingly important role in China’s responses to climate change. An LBNL analysis, resulting from a joint LBNL-IGSD project, shows that 438.1 MtCO₂e of methane emissions could be reduced annually in 2030 at an average abatement cost of US$22/tCO₂e. The lion’s share of methane mitigation potential resides in the coal-mining sector. According to a 2019 U.S. Environmental Protection Agency analysis, China has the potential to reduce 403 Mt CO₂e of coal-mine methane emissions by 2030, which represents 69% of the global methane mitigation potential in coal mining.

During the 13^th Five-Year Plan period (2016-2020), China set targets for coalbed methane extraction. In particular, the 13th Five-Year Plan for the Development and Utilization of Coalbed Methane (Coal-Mine Gas) (2016) provided that “by 2020, the coalbed methane (coal-mine gas) extraction volume shall reach 24 billion cubic meters, within which the production of on-ground coalbed methane shall reach 10 billion cubic meters with a utilization rate of over 90%; the extraction of coal-mine gas shall reach 14 billion cubic meters with a utilization rate of over 50%.” Further details on the implementation status of the above targets will be provided when China releases the coalbed methane development plan, including related policies and targets, for the current 14^th Five-Year Plan period (2021-2025).

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