Today, GTI (Des Plaines, Ill.; www.gti.energy) launched Veritas: a GTI Differentiated Gas Measurement and Verification Initiative to accelerate actions that reduce methane leakage from natural gas systems. The effort brings together scientists, academics, environmental organizations, certification organizations, and industry participants to demonstrate emissions reductions in a consistent, credible, and transparent way. The initiative will develop accurate and verified methane emissions intensities and the necessary protocols to calculate measurement-informed methane emissions for natural gas systems.
“Looking out to mid-century, we anticipate continued robust demand for low-carbon gases. We also see lowering methane emissions as imperative for enabling the vital role that natural gas will serve in low-carbon energy systems. GTI and our partners are committed to accelerating actions that reduce methane leakages from every segment of natural gas systems. Establishing a measurement-informed and transparently-developed standard that all stakeholders can rely upon will increase confidence that those actions are reducing methane emissions—and channel energy into accelerating actions that are most effective,” said Paula Gant, SVP for Strategy & Innovation at GTI.
“We are developing protocols and methodologies that best-in-class companies can use to demonstrate methane emissions reductions. Market participants and observers desire a consistent approach to measuring and verifying emissions, and this initiative will enable credible, consistent methodology throughout the natural gas supply chain,” said Margaret Coleman, Veritas Executive Director and Director for Data & Digitalization at GTI.
Reducing methane emissions is a this-decade opportunity to slow the rate of global warming, and leading companies and organizations are hard at work on this opportunity. An array of new technologies and solutions are increasingly available, but the market lacks a consistent, credible, verifiable, and transparent methodology for assessing the effectiveness of those technologies and practices in reducing methane emissions. Veritas convenes diverse stakeholders to develop technical protocols and a widely accepted methodology to quantify methane emissions, including:
- The Methane Intensity Protocol, which will define methane intensities for each segment of the natural gas supply chain.
- The Measurement Protocol, which will describe how to take measurements to inform emission inventories, by segment.
- The Reconciliation Protocol, which will reconcile emissions factor inventory with actual measurements, by segment.
- The Supply Chain Summation Protocol, which will sum up multiple segments for a supply chain methane emissions intensity.
- The Audit and Assurance Protocol, which will provide guidance for verifying an emissions inventory and for third-party auditing.
The initiative’s sponsors, leaders, and supporters include Devon Energy, EQT Corporation, Ernst & Young LLP (EY US), Jonah Energy LLC, ONE Future, RMI, Sempra Energy, Southern Company, and Williams. Stakeholders ranging from eNGOs to leading energy companies bring a diversity of perspectives that, along with an open process, will result in a useful set of tools that can be widely used for applications, including certification standards, regulatory reporting, buyer transparency, and investor transparency.
GTI is a leading research, development, training, and professional services organization at the forefront of clean energy innovation, addressing the urgent challenges of climate change.