The US has announced funding worth $30 million (£17.8m) for technologies to measure methane emissions in the oil and natural gas industry in a bid to effectively reduce them.

Methane emissions in the US make up nearly 9% of all greenhouse gas emitted and is projected to rise to a level equivalent to more than 620 million tonnes of carbon dioxide in 2030 if no action is taken, according to the US Department of Energy.

The cash will be used to help develop “low-cost, highly sensitive systems” that detect and measure methane associated with the production and transportation of oil and gas as part of the MONITOR programme.

If successful, the technologies would be able to “accurately and cost-effectively measure” methane emissions and provide a detection network to mitigate the release of the greenhouse gas into the atmosphere.

Cheryl Martin, Acting Director at the Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy (ARPA-E) said: “Developing a broad range of technology options to reduce energy emissions and consumption is critical for a secure, affordable and sustainable American energy future.

“The disruptive technologies that ARPA-E will fund will fill critical gaps in energy research and development and push the boundaries of emissions reduction.”