Definition (^1):

Methane is the simplest gaseous hydrocarbon, consisting of one carbon and four hydrogen atoms. It is also a powerful greenhouse gas that is found in small quantities in Earth's atmosphere.

Significant datas for methane [^2]:

• Chemical Formula : CH4
• Molecular Weight : 16.0425 g/mol
• Boiling Point at 1 atm : -161.52 °C
• Fusion Point at 1 atm : -182.47 °C
• Critical Temperature : -82.6 °C
• Critical Pressure 4600 kPa
• Density, Liquid at -161 °C, 422.62 kg/m^3
• Density, Gas at 15 °C, 1 atm, 0.6709 kg/m^3
• CH4 leakage at consumption : 0.08 kt/PJ [^6]
• CH4 leakage at transport,distribution : 0.195 kt/PJ [^6]
• N2O after use : 0.0001 kt/PJ [^5]

Methane is mostly used as a fuel, it produce carbon dioxide and water vapor when burned with oxygen:

$$CH_4 + 2O_2 → CO_2 + 2H_2O$$

We consider several methods for production:

• Fossil gas
• Methanation
• Upgrading Biogas

Plasmacracking technology uses methane and produce hydrogen. As a result, plasmacracking is associated to hydrogen technologies.

Global Methane Budget (2008-2017):

Although the concentration of methane in Earth's atmosphere is small (around 1.8 parts per million), it is an important greenhouse gas because it is such a potent heat absorber. The concentration of methane in our atmosphere has risen by about 150% since 1750, apparently largely due to human activities. Methane accounts for about 20% of the heating effects by all of the greenhouse gases combined. Both natural and human sources supply methane to Earth's atmosphere.

The following figure shows the balance between CH4 emissions and sinks, and the main sectors:

(Image credit: The Global Carbon Project, taken from ^3)

Price:^4

The average price of methane around the world is 0.80 U.S. Dollar per liter. However, there is substantial difference in these prices among countries. As a general rule, richer countries have higher prices while poorer countries and the countries that produce and export oil have significantly lower prices.

^1: Methane Wikipedia page, https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/M%C3%A9thane [^2]: Engineering Toolbox, https://www.engineeringtoolbox.com ^3: By The Global Carbon Project - http://www.globalcarbonatlas.org/en/CH4-emissions / https://essd.copernicus.org/articles/12/1561/2020/, CC BY 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=93292720 ^4: Methane prices, 28 Jun 2021, GlobalPetrolPrices.com, https://www.globalpetrolprices.com/methane_prices/ [^5]: Winiwarter, W., 2005. The GAINS model for greenhouse gases-version 1.0: nitrous oxide (N2O).https://previous.iiasa.ac.at/web/home/research/researchPrograms/air/IR55-GAINS-N2O.pdf [^6]: Hoglund-Isaksson, L. and Mechler, R., 2005. The GAINS Model for Greenhouse gases-Version 1.0: Methane (CH4), IIASA Interim Report IR-05-054. International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis, Laxenburg. https://previous.iiasa.ac.at/web/home/research/researchPrograms/air/IR54-GAINS-CH4.pdf