Progress

During 2025, the EEMS project completed its initiation and implementation planning phase. The main activities carried out included:
• Signing of the Grant Agreement;
• Signing of the Partnership Agreement between INCAS and Empa;
• Establishment of the project implementation team and allocation of responsibilities;
• Preliminary planning of procurement activities;
• Preparation of the technical specifications for the equipment and services to be procured;
• Completion of the procurement procedure for the development of the project website;
• Development and launch of the dedicated project website to support communication and dissemination of information on the project’s objectives, activities, progress and results.

During the first half of 2026, the EEMS project achieved significant progress in project implementation and the development of its measurement infrastructure:
• Project implementation continued through close collaboration between INCAS and Empa, supported by regular meetings to coordinate the project’s scientific and technical activities.
• Băicoi was selected as the main study area for the upcoming methane monitoring campaigns, supported by field visits, preliminary site assessments, and installation of first meteorologic measurement equipment.
• Procurement activities for the measurement infrastructure advanced, with contracts signed for the research system and the mobile measurement platform with measurement tower.
• The Critical Design Documentation for the mobile measurement platform was completed and formally accepted, marking the completion of the design phase.
• The development of the project’s atmospheric modelling capabilities continued through the technical cooperation between the project partners, supporting future methane monitoring and emission assessment activities.
• The project team strengthened its technical capacity through practical training activities and the expansion of the research team.
• Dissemination activities included participation in the European Geosciences Union (EGU) General Assembly 2026, increasing the visibility of the project within the international scientific community.
• The airborne imaging spectrometer AVIRIS-4 was flown in June 2026 over oil and gas production regions near Bucharest, Plojesti and Pitesti to detect and quantify CH4 leaks. The flights were coordinated with a concurrent campaign organized by the EU project IM4CA, which also investigated landfill emissions and other CH4 sources.