Nitech™ Proposal Request
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
COAL MINE METHANE PROJECT PROFILE, BROOKWOOD, AL
Project Description
Traditionally, coal mine methane, the greenhouse gas released by mining, has been vented out of mines as waste. This practice protects the safety of miners but also harms the environment and wastes methane. In 1999, BCCK was contracted to install a Nitech™ NRU to process coal mine methane; thus creating a sellable product from a traditional waste stream.
First, the oxygen contaminant needed to be removed from the gas stream. BCCK designed an oxygen removal system that uses catalytic reaction to remove the oxygen from the inlet coal mine methane. This makes the stream safe for processing through the Nitech NRU. The Brookwood facility includes oxygen removal equipment, CO2 extraction and nitrogen removal.
Methane’s overall contribution to global warming is approximately twenty-one times that of carbon dioxide. For this reason, the environmental community is examining the potential of allowing producers of greenhouse gases to “trade” carbon credits in order to increase their production in the future. The Nitech process, when utilized on coal mine methane, has been recognized by the EPA as an environmentally friendly process. The capture of this methane will allow producers to “bank” their carbon credits and trade them to other businesses, such as utility and power plants that need the credits in order to expand their operations.
Project Profile: Brookwood, AL
Facility Size: 12 MMSCFD
Plant Type: Coal Mine Methane
Inlet Gas N2 Content: 15% – 30%
Completion: January 2000