The Czech Presidency of the Council of the European Union submitted to the Member States, on Friday 2 December, a new draft compromise (the fifth) on the proposed EU regulation to reduce methane (CH4) emissions in the energy sector.
Obtained by EUROPE, the document includes a relaxation of the deadlines for the detection of methane leaks as well as the conditions relating to the obligation to repair these leaks.
Leak detection and repair surveys should be repeated with a frequency depending on the type of components to be examined and the detection method used - remote detection or on-site detection, referred to as Type 1 and Type 2 in the draft compromise.
While the original European Commission proposal required operators to carry out a survey of all relevant components under their responsibility every three months (see EUROPE 12840/13, 12854/12), the Czech document puts this frequency at six months for some components and even to three years for gas pipelines.
Regarding the thresholds above which leakage repair becomes mandatory, the Presidency suggests several changes.
Under the draft compromise, operators would be required to repair or replace all components that emit at least 7,000 parts per million (ppm) or 17 grams per hour of methane, based on Type 1 detection.
Leaks detected on site (Type 2 detection) should be plugged at 500 ppm or more or 0.15 grams per hour for surface components. However, this threshold would be increased to 3,000 ppm or 5 grams per hour for underground components and offshore components above sea level. It would be increased to 7,000 ppm or 17 grams per hour for offshore components below the sea level.
The Czech Presidency intends to reach a political agreement between the Member States (‘general approach’) at the EU ‘Energy’ Council on 19 December.
See the draft compromise: https://aeur.eu/f/4jq (Original version in French by Damien Genicot)