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H2020Doctoral network2017–2021

MEMO2 · MEthane goes MObile - MEasurements and MOdelling

Horizon 2020 — Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions

Duration
2017-03-01 → 2021-02-28
EU contribution
€3,361,291
Participants
22
Scheme
MSCA-ITN-ETN

Lines connect the coordinator with its partners.

Results in brief

MEthane goes MObile - MEasurements and MOdelling

The 2015 United Nations Climate Change Conference in Paris (COP21) agreed to limit global warming “well below” 2°C and, if possible, below 1.5°C. Reaching this target requires massive reductions of greenhouse gas emissions, far beyond the Intended Nationally Determined Contributions. MEMO2 contributed to this goal with a focus on methane (CH4), one of Europe’s most important sources of energy and major contributor to Europe’s global warming impact. Europe’s CH4 emissions are not well quantified, but effective emission reduction can only be achieved if sources are properly constrained, and mitigation efforts are verified. The main scientific goal of MEMO2, a European Training Network (MSCA-ITN-ETN) with more than 60 scientists from 15 countries, was to develop and apply innovative experimental and modelling tools, based on mobile analysers, state-of-the-art isotope techniques, and a hierarchy of models, including newly developed high-resolution dispersion models. MEMO2 aimed to identify and quantify CH4 emissions from local sources in Europe and use them to improve estimates at the European scale. These tools will enable the scientific and non-academic communities to improve the objective verification of CH4 emission reduction strategies for specific source sectors. As a training network, MEMO2 also educated by this a generation of “cross–thinking” scientists that will be able to effectively develop and use novel measurement and modelling tools in an interdisciplinary and intersectoral context.

Data: CORDIS, © European Union

Project objective

Mitigation of climate change is a key scientific and societal challenge and also a headline target of the EU2020 strategy. Strong reductions in greenhouse gas emissions are necessary to reach the global warming target agreed on at the 2015 United Nations Convention of Parties in Paris. Such emission reductions can only be achieved if sources are properly quantified and mitigation efforts are verified, but there are large discrepancies between official emission inventories and estimates derived from direct measurement of the air.MEMO2 will contribute to the EU2020 targets with a focus on methane (CH4), the second most important greenhouse gas after CO2 and one of Europe’s most important energy sources. CH4 emissions are a major contributor to Europe's global warming impact, but they are also a good target for climate change mitigation because of a rather short lifetime of 10 years (policy-maker compatible) and several sources offering possibilities of “no-regret” emission reduction (landfills, gas leaks, manure). However CH4 emissions are not well quantified yet.MEMO2 will bridge the gap between large-scale scientific estimates from in situ monitoring programs and the 'bottom-up' estimates of emissions from local sources that are used in the national reporting. MEMO2 will identify and evaluate CH4 emissions and support mitigation measures by I) developing new and advanced mobile methane measurements tools and networks, isotopic source identification, and modelling at different scales, and II) educating a new generation of “cross–thinking” scientists, which are able to effectively implement novel measurement and modelling tools in an interdisciplinary and intersectoral context. The 9 beneficiaries and 13 non-academic partners of MEMO2 offer a well–structured intersectoral training programme to equip young researchers with strong scientific and personal competencies, which will enhance their employability as well as European innovation capacity in the future.

Original text from CORDIS.

Participants

  • UNIVERSITEIT UTRECHT · UtrechtCoordinatorNetherlands
  • AKADEMIA GORNICZO-HUTNICZA IM. STANISLAWA STASZICA W KRAKOWIE · KrakowPoland
  • Afvalzorg Deponie BV · ASSENDELFTNetherlands
  • Avfall Sverige · MalmöSweden
  • EIDGENOSSISCHE MATERIALPRUFUNGS- UND FORSCHUNGSANSTALT · DubendorfSwitzerland
  • Isoprime LtdUnited Kingdom
  • LUNDS UNIVERSITET · LundSweden
  • NEDERLANDSE ORGANISATIE VOOR TOEGEPAST NATUURWETENSCHAPPELIJK ONDERZOEK TNO · Den HaagNetherlands
  • NPL MANAGEMENT LIMITED · MIDDLESEXUnited Kingdom
  • NRG PALLAS BV · PettenNetherlands
  • OONKEY · GOORNetherlands
  • PANSTWOWY INSTYTUT GEOLOGICZNY - PANSTWOWY INSTYTUT BADAWCZY · WARSZAWAPoland
  • Picarro Sarl · Collonge BelleriveSwitzerland
  • RIJKSUNIVERSITEIT GRONINGEN · GroningenNetherlands
  • ROYAL HOLLOWAY AND BEDFORD NEW COLLEGE · EGHAMUnited Kingdom
  • RUPRECHT-KARLS-UNIVERSITAET HEIDELBERG · HeidelbergGermany
  • SHELL INTERNATIONAL BV · DEN HAAGNetherlands
  • UMWELTBUNDESAMT · Dessau-RosslauGermany
  • UNIVERSITE DE VERSAILLES SAINT-QUENTIN EN YVELINES · VERSAILLESFrance
  • Viridor Waste Management Limited · ExeterUnited Kingdom
  • WAGENINGEN UNIVERSITY · WageningenNetherlands
  • Whiffle Weather Finecasting B.V · DELFTNetherlands

Links

Data: CORDIS, © European Union