ON-MET – Testing a New Method for Quantifying Methane Emissions from Wastewater Facilities

 In Danish
Project period: July 2024 – June 2026

New requirements for documenting methane emissions from wastewater facilities have emerged due to increased focus on the green transition in the water sector. Wastewater facilities are now required to carry out self-monitoring and routine leak checks, creating a need for a new measurement method that is both practical and precise. In the ON-MET project, we test the applicability of a new method for total quantification of methane emissions.

The new measurement method uses methane sensors, which are installed around the wastewater facility and perform continuous measurements. Based on the placement of the sensors, these measurements can indicate the amount of methane emitted when compared to known measurements produced by using the tracer gas method. In the tracer gas method, controlled releases of methane are performed while measurements are made. These measurements are used to estimate the extent of methane emissions from a wastewater facility.

The method is being tested and further developed with the aim of implementing the sensor systems in the daily operations of the plants.

A Future of Sustainable Reductions

Based on the project’s experimental results, we expect to demonstrate how methane emissions from the plants depend on various operational conditions:

• Operational load on the facility
• Climatic conditions
• Operational practices

The relationship between methane emissions and these factors will be used to prepare guidelines for the wastewater facilities, enabling them to adjust operations to reduce methane emissions. In this way, the ON-MET project will serve as a foundation for developing smart, tailored reduction strategies.

The project is supported by the VUDP Association.

Project partners:

• Hillerød Spildevand A/S
• Ringkøbing-Skjern Forsyning A/S
• Herning Vand A/S
• Ærø Vand A/S
• DevLabs ApS