Fuel
Gas Incentive Program for the Mainline System
The combustion of fuel at compressor stations accounts
for more than 80 per cent of TransCanada's pipeline operations
greenhouse gas emissions. An agreement, which was in place
between TransCanada and its Mainline System customers
to create alignment around the economic importance of
fuel efficiency, also delivered environmental benefit.
In 2002, this agreement resulted in a savings of approximately
220,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide.
Fugitive Emissions Management
Program
TransCanada continues to roll out a comprehensive program
for managing fugitive emissions from our Canadian pipeline
operations. Fugitive emissions are small methane leaks
from pipeline equipment, such as compressor seals and
valves, as well as components that are engineered to
release methane as part of normal operations. This initiative
allows TransCanada to develop a more complete emissions
inventory, and to better document our progress in reducing
methane released from fugitive sources. Fugitive emissions
are now measured at almost 40 per cent of our facilities
by implementing a leading-edge technology called high
flow sampling.
Blowdown Emissions Management
Program
Blowdown emissions consist of natural gas, or methane,
that is vented to the atmosphere from pipelines, compressors
and yard piping to allow for repairs or maintenance.
Blowdowns account for 16 per cent of TransCanada's methane
emissions or about two percent of the company's total
GHG emissions profile.
In the past several years we have altered our approach
to blowdowns. While continuing to increase the amount
of methane recovered from each blowdown, we have focused
our efforts on reducing the number of times blowdowns
are needed. This trend is leading to a step change in
our construction and maintenance practices as well as
our emissions profile.
Bio-filtration and Dry
Gas Seal Mitigation
Biofilters show potential for inexpensively converting
methane emissions to carbon dioxide, which would dramatically
reduce their GHG impact. TransCanada is working with
the University of Calgary on the design and laboratory
testing of a filter that shows potential to oxidize
more than 90 per cent of a methane emissions stream
into carbon dioxide.
Dry gas seals rely on small, engineered emissions of
methane for its operation to prevent the escape of the
compressed gas from the compressor housing. TransCanada
is now investigating systems to capture these emissions
and reroute them into the gas transmission system. The
objective of this work is to further reduce GHG impacts
by eliminating a methane source.
Employee Climate Change
Challenge
TransCanada has also focused on the individuals who
make up our company in the reduction of GHG.
We have re-introduced an environmental program about
climate change, called Climate Conscious. Designed with
the busy employee in mind, this program educates and
engages employees on the climate change issue in a fun
and interactive way.
TransCanada, along with the Government of Canada, has
sponsored the development of the Climate
Change Challenge. Developed and maintained by Destination
Conservation, the online game has become a benchmark
in online education and engagement around the climate
change issue. The program is in use across Canada, and
has been presented to a United Nations conference and
the Chinese Government.
For more information on these programs, please send
us an e-mail.
