Last week Eurogas organised an event in the European Parliament to discuss the EU methane regulation. Hosted by Maria Spyraki, Shadow Rapporteur on the Methane Emissions Regulation, it gathered experts from the sector and policy makers. They discussed the development of a binding framework to tackle emissions, that takes the diverse characteristics of the gas value chain into account.
Among the main points raised, the speakers stressed the need for more flexibility in the means through which the Regulation’s objectives are met. Taking into account variations along the gas value chain, and the specificities of each segment, it is essential to set an effective and feasible pathway. Only tailored and specific requirements for operators, instead of a one-size-fits-all approach, would allow the differences across production, transmission, storage, and distribution to be factored in properly.
Comments were also made on monitoring, reporting and verification processes. These procedures should be in line with the Oil & Gas Methane Partnership 2.0 (OGMP 2.0), to put the most effective measures in place. Such an approach would be complemented by including quantification methods for hard to measure sections as a way to cope with possible technical constrains.
Finally, speakers raised the issue of the materials that constitute the network and their potential impact on the risk of leaks. They stressed that prioritisation based on such factors would be more effective in reducing emissions than working with set time intervals leak detection and repair.
For more on how to tackle value chain methane emissions – see our joint letter, co-signed by GD4S, GEODE, Cedec.
Martina Bassan,
Policy Communications Advisor
