Development of a Smart, Safer and Cost-Effective Technology for Enhanced Fugitive Emission Monitoring

Fugitive emissions, particularly methane and Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs), present critical environmental and economic challenges, contributing to climate change and possibly incurring regulatory penalties. A Leak Detection and Repair (LDAR) program is crucial for minimizing fugitive emissions and ensuring the safety and efficiency of these facilities. Chiyoda Corporation is a worldleading engineering company and Engineering, Procurement, and Construction (EPC) contractor for large-scale projects across the globe. In these projects, there are thousands of fugitive emission sources, and using conventional LDAR programs that rely on periodic manual inspections of individual components (e.g., EPA Method 21) has disadvantages, such as being time-consuming, incurring high labor costs, delayed leak identification, and the introduction of potential human data-entry errors. We are developing a smart LDAR technology that achieves real-time, high-accuracy leak detection through the integration of gas leak detection devices, 3D digital twin software, and robotic platforms; optimizes operational costs and reduces downtime through proactive maintenance strategies. It also ensures compliance with evolving LDAR regulations, including US-EPA, EU methane strategy, OGMP 2.0 and API 624 requirements, ensuring effective monitoring and management of methane and other fugitive emissions. The proposed technology combines three core components: (1) gas leak detection sensors—such as Optical Gas Imaging (OGI) cameras and Tunable Diode Laser Absorption Spectroscopy (TDLAS) sensors—to detect, quantify, and visually identify gas leaks; (2) 3D digital twin software to develop an LDAR database by incorporating fugitive emission data (component type, location, concentration), enabling prioritized repair scheduling and optimized inspection routing; and (3) robotic platforms for continuous, autonomous monitoring over larger areas, collecting more data points than manual inspections and accessing challenging or hazardous zones for more accurate leak- flux quantification. The first demonstration study of the proposed technology was conducted at Chiyoda Corporation's SPERA Hydrogen demonstration plant in Japan. Results demonstrated the capabilities of the proposed technology for fugitive emission leak detection and quantification through safe and efficient monitoring without requiring proximity to potential emission sources. Future developments aim to integrate an autonomous robot instead of a manually controlled one, enabling continuous, high-precision monitoring, especially in hazardous or hard-to-access industrial environments. Our work will further enhance LDAR efficiency, improves safety, ensures regulatory compliance, and ultimately contributing to environmental sustainability and economic benefits.