NEDO-IC-99R09 04 Study for Recovery and Utilization of Coal Mine Gas in Russia(Kuznetsk Coal Basin) March, 2000 NEDOBIS E99007. New Energy and Industial Technology Development Organization Consignee : Japan Coal Energy Center 020004896-5 “Basic Study for Promoting Joint Implementation and Others” -Study for Recovery and Utilization of Coal Mine Gas in Russia (Kuznetsk Coal Basin) Consignee: Japan Coal Energy Center Completion Date of Survey Report: March, 2000 (303 Pages) The purpose of this Survey is to link the energy substitutes and the reduction of global warming gases in Russian coal mines, with the promotion of joint implementation projects of the Kyoto-mechanism, recovering gas which is released in developing coal mines efficiently and emitting into the air as less as possible, utilizing these recovered gas positively for power generation and others, and ensuring mine safety of coal mines, by introducing to the coal mines in Russia Japanese technologies and facilities connected with coal mine methane recovery/control and utilization of gas. NEDO-IC-99R09 Study for Recovery and Utilization of Coal Mine Gas in Russia(Kuznetsk Coal Basin) March, 2000 New Energy and Industial Technology Development Organization Consignee : Japan Coal Energy Center Introduction This paper summarizes the outcome of the "Study on the Recovery and Utilization of the Coal Mine Methane Gas in the Kuznetsk Basin, Russia." a basic study for the promotion of joint implementation, conducted in the fiscal year 1999 by the Japan Coal Energy Center (JCOAL), commissioned by the New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization (NEDO). In December 1997, the Third Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP3) was held, and the Kyoto Protocol was adopted, aiming at a reduction of the average emission by 5% below 1990 levels in the commitment period 2008 to 2012, to prevent the global warming caused by greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide gas. Japan was allocated to reduce such gases by 6% as the aim value. The Kyoto Protocol also defines Kyoto Mechanisms, such as, "joint implementation" by developed countries, "clean development mechanism for developing countries" and "emissions credit trading" and other flexible measures to facilitate achievement of the goal, and these measures should be utilized in achieving the goal. Russia, which we investigated, maintains the world largest resources of fossil fuel. Among all, the production of coal reached up to 400 million tons a year at one stage, third largest in the world after China and the U.S.A. After the collapse of Russian economy, however, the coal production dropped together with the other energy resources, and it went down to the 230-million-ton level in 1998. Under such circumstances, coal still plays an important role, sharing 60% of all the energy for the base industries including the electric power and the iron and steel making industries in Russia. On the other hand, equipment used for the coal mining activity has become exhausted and obsolete, frequently causing gas explosions and other serious accidents in the mines. For example, in the period from 1990 to 1994 compared with the previous five years, the number of explosions and outbursts doubled, and the fatalities increased by 3.5 times. In the Kuznetsk Basin, where the investigation was conducted, the rate of gas recovery from the coal mine is much lower (17%) than developed countries after the Russian economy collapsed, and in reality, gas is not recovered sufficiently also from the mine safety point of view. Thus, several programs have been devised and conducted to ensure the mine safety and to improve the working environment, including options to close the obsolete mines and to carry out structural reforms in developing potential mines. These efforts have resulted in some achievements, for example, increasing the coal production in the Kuznetsk Basin for the year 1999 compared with the previous year. Substantial improvements, however, cannot be expected, when the efforts are made only internally. For example, almost all the recovered gas is discharged into the atmosphere in the Kuznetsk Basin, due to the lack of effective gas utilization facilities. Introduction and propagation of facilities and technologies to recover and utilize the coal mine methane gas is highly needed in Russia, also from the view point of ensuring the mine safety and establishing the business management, as well as preventing the global warming. As a part of the investigation, the feasibility study was carried out for the project of the recovery and utilization of the coal mine methane gas in Russia, with a view to link it to the joint implementation project between developed countries, facilitated by the Kyoto mechanisms. We would hke to thank the Ministry of Fuel and Energy of Russia, NEDO, Russian Science Academy Siberia Coal Institute, and many other institutions for their information and cooperation provided to the investigation. March, 2000 Japan Coal Energy Center Chairman: Masaya Fujimura Persons in Charge Name Title Charge Ken Takahashi Director Basis of the project (Summary) Jiro Onodera Chief Researcher Overall environmental appraisal Yasuo Otaka Chief Researcher Gas utilization potentiality (Coal utilization Technology) Kazuo Sasaki Chief Researcher Possibility appraisal of joint implementation Effect of greenhouse effect gases reduction Coordinating work for survey Akira Tamari Staff Manager Overall gas recovery project Outline of project execution site Possibility appraisal of joint implementation Coordinating work for survey Koichi Koizumi Senior Researcher Coordinating work for survey Boring technology Outline of project execution site Sinkichi Nozawa Staff Manager Possibility appraisal of joint implementation Effect of greenhouse effect gases reduction Junko Saito Senior Researcher Effect vs. project cost Akira Takahara Chief Researcher Gas utilization potentiality Outline of project execution site Effect of greenhouse effect gases reduction Effect vs. project cost Shigeki Yamane Senior Researcher Gas utilization potentiality Gas-fired power generation plan Overall environmental appraisal Naotaka Minezaki Senior Researcher Possibility appraisal of joint implementation Economic appraisal of the project Hiroshi Murata Senior Researcher Basis of the project Economic appraisal of the project Mutsumu Okumura Senior Researcher Gas-fired power generation plan (Power-Transmission technology) Outline of project execution site Akira Simizu Chief Researcher Appraisal of coal mines Tadashi Shimoyama Senior Researcher Gas recovery technology plan International technological cooperation Eizou Chida Senior Researcher Boring technology Gas control/management Kazuhiko Furukawa Chief Researcher Methane resource appraisal Akio Kondo Senior Researcher Appraisal of coal mine electric facilities Hiroshi Nambo Senior Researcher Appraisal of coal mine safety Osamu Nakano Chief Researcher Methane resource appraisal (Resouces survey technology) Summary This paper relates to Chertinskaya mine, a Belovougol branch of Kuzbassugol Coal Production Association (CPA), selected and investigated as a model mine, in cooperation with the Ministry of Fuel and Energy of Russian Federation as the counterpart. Kuzbassugol CPA, formed after merging three coal production associations in 1999, is the largest coal production group in the Kuznetsk coal basin, operating over 17 underground mines, and accounting over one third of the annual production in the region. As far as the utilization of the mine gas is concerned, an attempt was made in Chertinskaya mine for generation of power, but it abandoned the idea after the gas utilization plant introduced for the purpose failed to meet the local conditions, such as the large variation in the volume and concentration of gas and low gas concentration, which are typical characteristics of the mine gas. The instability of both volume and concentration of gas is caused by the factors such as the low coal production due to the stagnating Russian economy obsolete machinery, and insufficient gas drainage due to lack of gas drainage equipment. These same factors are also causing frequent mine-gas-related accidents in the Kuznetsk coal basin. In addition, the administration has been put in difficulty, due to the deterioration of working environment caused by the lack of machinery and obsolescence of the mine, coupled with the low efficiency in production. This site study encompassed the issues on the gas recovery from underground and surface of the mine, the gas utilization facilities and the present status of these issues at the mine of Chertinskaya. As the current gas drainage system is not effective enough at the moment, the mine gas is diluted by increasing the airflow in the mine, besides draining the gas through bleeder wells and vertical gob wells and discharging it into the atmosphere on the ground. The main factor which makes the gas drainage ineffective is the lack of machinery to bore the holes with the length over 100 meters and with the appropriate diameter required for the long wall mining. On the other hand, in view of the gas utilization, it is necessary to keep the gas in an appropriate volume in an appropriate concentration, and the gas leakage to the air must be prevented for the control of ventilation. In relation to this, the sealing method and the caulking method in boring holes were observed to be further improved. It is indispensable to recover and control the gas for the