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Sino-U.S. New Energy Sci-Tech Forum and Conference on

Coalmine Methane Recovery and Utilization

 February 2009, Jincheng, Shanxi Province

 

 

 

 

February 2009, in cooperation with U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Global Methane Initiative, GE, Peoples Municipal Government of Jincheng, and Shanxi Foreign Affairs Office,  the Jackson Hole Center for Global Affairs organized a group of 25 international experts to meet in Jincheng, China, at the invitation of the Municipal Government of Jincheng and the Shanxi Foreign Affairs Office with local officials and enterprise managers to discuss development of the city’s coalmine and coalbed methane resources.  The purpose was to share information and experience relating to future cooperation in the areas of recovery and utilization of coalmine methane (CMM).

 

Priorities for cooperation identified in summary discussions included drainage of methane from subsided coal seams (e.g., abandoned coal mines) and technologies for purification and liquefaction of methane drained from mines.  

Members of the Sci-Tech Forum inspect a methane surface well during a site tour

The delegation visiting the Jincheng Sihe power plant, the largest coal mine methane fired power plant in the world, built by Caterpillar

The meeting of the Sino-U.S. New Energy Sci-Tech Conference on Coalmine Methane Recovery and Utilization

Jincheng Mayor, Wang Maoshe, opening remarks

Pamela Franklin, Director of the EPA Coalbed Methane Outreach Program

(left to right) Cliff Mallet, Executive General Manager, Carbon Energy (Australia); Richard Mattus, MEGTEC Systems (Sweden); Hua Guo, Sustainable Mining Systems, CSIRO (Australia); David Creedy, Sindicatum Carbon Capital (U.K.)

Co-Chair, Jack Wen, President of GE Energy (China)

Representatives from municipality of Jincheng include He Tiancai, Chief Engineer, Shanxi Jincheng Anthracite Coal Mining Group., Ltd; Li Chengtai, Jincheng Environmental Protection Bureau; Wang Renqing, Jincheng Science and Technology Bureau

MOU signing ceremony establishing cooperation with China on energy savings and emissions reductions.

David Wendt, concluding remarks

"I personally learned a lot from this conference.  The presentations were lively and changed some of my perceptions.

- Jack Wen, President, GE Energy China

 

 

The ultimate aim of both of these activities was to facilitate efforts to supply methane to rural areas to replace coal as a fuel for home heating and cooking. The meeting concluded with signature of the “Jincheng Declaration,” pledging commitment of both sides to the principles of resource conservation and emissions reductions.

 

The Declaration was signed by Mayor Wang Maoshe on behalf of the Municipality of Jincheng and by Deputy Director-General Jia Xuefeng on behalf of the Shanxi Foreign Affairs Office; signatories on the U.S. side included David Wendt on behalf of JHCGA and Jack Wen on behalf of GE. The Declaration serves as a platform from which the partners can project leadership in future joint clean energy efforts, including the efforts outlined above.  

 

View complete project report here

 

JHCGA invited the chief energy correspondent of the Casper Star-Tribune, Dustin Bleizeffer, to participate in the 2009 Sino-U.S. New Energy Sci-Tech Forum and Conference on Coalmine Recovery and Utilization, held in February 2009 in Jincheng, China. The Star-Tribune is Wyoming's largest newspaper.

 

Upon Mr. Bleizeffer's return from Jincheng, the Star-Tribune featured Mr. Bleizeffer's articles in three consecutive days of front page coverage. The Star-Tribune also published a full-page editorial, endorsing Wyoming-China cooperation on cleaner coal and JHCGA's leadership in promoting such cooperation. Links to the articles and editorial follow.

 

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