Coal Mine Methane Activity Within The UK
Coal Mine Methane Operators Activities

1. Tower Colliery

Hyder Consulting in partnership with Tower Colliery installed 6 x 1.5 MW generators powered by methane drained from the active workings. The electricity generated is fed direct into the grid.

2. Silverdale Colliery

Green Gas Power Ltd are actively draining methane from the abandoned colliery and selling it to a local user via the North Staffs Gas Grid, a privately owned pipeline.

3. Alkane Energy plc

3.1 Shirebrook – Methane is actively drained from the abandoned colliery and sold to Clarke Energy who use it to generate electricity for local use – c. 9 MW.

3.2 Steetley – Methane is actively drained and sold to Clarke Energy who use it to generate electricity – c. 3 MW.

3.3 Monkbretton – Methane is actively drained from the abandoned colliery and sold to Rexam Glassworks – c. 5 MW.

3.4 Wheldale – Methane is actively drained from the abandoned colliery and sold to Scottish and Southern – c. 10 MW.

3.5 Markham– Methane has previously been actively drained and sold to Coalite but as that company has closed a new customer is being sought – c. 2.7 MW.

3.6 Alkane are currently looking at three new sites at Bevercotes – c. 4 MW, Whitwell – c. 2 MW, and Warsop – c. 2 MW, to carry out similar works and are currently seeking to source generating equipment.

4. Green Park Energy

4.1 Hickleton – Methane is actively drained from the abandoned colliery and used to generate c. 5 MW of electricity which is fed into the grid.

4.2 Green Park Energy are also looking at developing new sites at Grimethorpe and Brodsworth, which have planning permission and further new proposals at Frickley, Bentley and Houghton Main. They propose to develop 5 or 6 new sites in the next 12 months all approximately 5 MW with the potential for a further 5 MW at each site by the use of Heat Exchangers. Thereafter they propose to move into Coal Bed Methane production using more innovative technology than has previously been applied in the industry.

5. Warwick Energy

Methane is actively drained from the abandoned Bentinck Colliery workings and producing c. 10.5 MW of electricity to the local network.

6. UK Coal

UK Coal has a mixture of flares, generators and gas utilisation for boilers at the majority of its operating collieries. Dawmill and Ellington being the exceptions where insufficient methane is produced to warrant measures being introduced.

6.1 Harworth Colliery – Has a generator which provides electricity for colliery use and a flare.

6.2 Maltby Colliery – Has 3 generators, 2 flares and utilises gas for the boilers.

6.3 Kellingley Colliery – Has 2 generators and a flare.

6.4 Rossington Colliery – Has a flare.

6.5 Thoresby Colliery – Has 2 generators and a flare.

6.6 Welbeck Colliery – Has 2 generators, a flare and utilises gas for the boilers.

6.7 Stillingfleet Colliery – Has 3 generators

In establishing flares at each of the collieries it is understood that UK Coal benefits from funding through generating Carbon Credits.