###### Abstract  
Greek lignite reserves are mainly located in the northwestern part of the country (Region of Western Macedonia, Greece), reaching a total of 5 billion tons. Considering that Greece is planning to stop burning lignite for electricity production, the recovery of the CH\({}_{4}\) trapped in lignite coalbed reservoirs can be a valuable alternative for power generation and may help to reduce the direct emissions of methane during mining activities. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the LCBM in the Region of Western Macedonia, Greece (Ptolemaida basin). In order to assess the LCBM that could be extracted, three samples were collected from an active mine and were subjected to desorption experiments at different temperatures (25 \({}^{\circ}\)C, 50 \({}^{\circ}\)C, 100 \({}^{\circ}\)C, and 150 \({}^{\circ}\)C) by channeling high purity Ar gas at 1 atm of pressure. According to the results, the highest amount of CH\({}_{4}\) was extracted during the desorption process at 50 \({}^{\circ}\)C, while the total amount of CH\({}_{4}\) from all three samples was 0.82 m\({}^{3}\)/kg, confirming the presence of CH\({}_{4}\) in the lignite deposits. Finally, a SWOT analysis was carried out that shows the strengths and opportunities against the weaknesses and threats of a potential LCBM exploitation in Greece, while also taking into account the social, economic, and environmental nexus. energy transition; lignite coalbed methane; extraction; desorption; Region of Western Macedonia-Greece +
Footnote †: journal: selected topics in the _Applied sciences_  
sulfur and mercury), as compared to the use of coal-fired power generation technology. Therefore, natural gas is preferred for power generation in European countries as a low-carbon alternative to coal, since natural gas plays a key role in the pathway to lower CO\({}_{2}\) emissions [4]. As a matter of fact, CO\({}_{2}\)-equivalent emissions from energy, industrial processes, methane, and flaring rose 5.7% globally in 2021 to 39.0 G\(\text{CO}_{2}\)e (Table 1). Carbon dioxide-equivalent emissions through oil-, gas-, and coal combustion-related activities rose 5.9% globally in 2021 to 33.9 G\(\text{HCO}_{2}\)e, while natural gas flaring corresponds to 0.153 G\(\text{HCO}_{2}\)e [1]. Hence, as economic growth will continue to drive CO\({}_{2}\) emissions through to 2040, the switch to lower-emission fuels, as imposed by the EU energy and climate policy [5], will help substantially to moderate emissions and reduce the carbon footprint. In countries, such as the U.S.A. and Canada, with extensive coal basins, the CBM-to-gas conversion process has become, since 1970, a viable sustainable energy source for household and industrial uses. Recoverable coal reserves can be found abundantly in many locations throughout the world, such as in the U.S.A, Russia, China, Australia, and India [6]. The distribution of CBM resources in the world shows that the former Soviet Union is leading with 113.0 \(\times\) 10\({}^{12}\) m\({}^{3}\), followed by North America with 85.4 \(\times\) 10\({}^{12}\) m\({}^{3}\), and the Asia-Pacific with 48.8 \(\times\) 10\({}^{12}\) m\({}^{3}\), while Europe follows with 7.7 \(\times\) 10\({}^{12}\) m\({}^{3}\)[3]. However, in many coal-rich countries such as China, India, and others, CBM is a fairly new term due to the time incurred by companies for exploring, developing, and extracting CBM gas from its reservoir. It has been estimated that the drill holes needed for CBM exploration are 10 times more than those needed for natural gas [4]. On the one hand, CBM must be removed from underground coal, since it is not allowed to be vented into the atmosphere due to its greenhouse effect as well as due to its potential explosion risk in coal mines [7]. Coalbed methane (CBM) is generally formed in shallow coal deposits, where different types of gases (including methane) are produced [8]. CBM reservoirs are fast-growing reservoirs in which the methane produced is stored mainly through adsorption on the coal matrix surface (such as micropores).