GEM's Methane Warning on Abandoned EU Coal Mines

Methane emissions from abandoned underground coal mines in the EU are on a level with pollution from the Nord Stream pipeline explosion in 2022, according to a new report from the Global Energy Monitor (GEM).

Abandoned EU underground coal mines could be emitting an estimated 298 million cubic metres of methane per year, which is about the same as emissions leaked from the Nord Stream pipeline after the 2022 explosion.

Poland is the top emitter of abandoned mine methane (AMM), nearly 40% of the EU's total AMM. The Czech Republic and Germany are the second and third largest AMM emitters. 

GEM is a US-based NGO that catalogues fossil fuel and renewable energy projects worldwide. Its Global Coal Mine Tracker includes data on 5,226 active and proposed coal mines, that together account for more than 90% of global coal production.

As of April 2024, the Tracker also includes data on more than 1,200 retired and abandoned coal mines globally, including those in the EU that were closed between 2015 and 2023, where information is available.

The WEF references International Energy Agency figures, showing coal mining activities are responsible for more than 10% of total methane emissions globally – and adds that this figure does not include emissions from abandoned mines.

These, says the WEF, could constitute a “substantial portion of global methane emissions”.

WEF reports that upcoming EU measures to curb methane emissions will oblige mining companies not only to limit venting from thermal coal mines but also to maintain an inventory of closed, inactive, and abandoned assets, to allow for monitoring and mitigation of their emissions.

EU 'has huge abandoned mine methane problem'

Dorothy Lan Mei, Project Manager for the Global Coal Mine Tracker, says: “When a coal mine is closed, methane emissions do not simply stop, especially if there are no mitigation measures in place. 

“The EU has a huge abandoned mine methane problem that until now it barely understood. Our dataset is essential because you can’t manage what you can’t monitor.

“The EU’s regulation on methane emissions reduction is a promising path forward, and with improved data collection, we can expect to get a better handle on the scale of the problem and move towards more effective mitigation.”

Dr Sabina Assan, Coal Mine Methane Analyst for Ember – a global clean energy think tank – says: “The EU’s closed and abandoned mines are an overlooked, and often forgotten methane source. 

“Current estimates put emissions at 25% of the EU's CMM emissions, but due to the lack of measurements and data it could be more. 

“With the EU's transition away from thermal coal and the upcoming EU Methane Regulation, the quality and speed of implementing measures to mitigate abandoned mine methane will be crucial for the EU to meet its climate goals."