More Satellites, Less Methane: How Satellite Networks Tackle Emissions
Tracking greenhouse gas emissions is like solving a puzzle with pieces scattered across the globe. Each emission source is a piece of the puzzle, and without a complete picture, it's difficult to plan the strategy and understand the scope of reduction or its effect on climate change. Satellite emissions monitoring is that tool that gives us a comprehensive picture of global emissions that helps us put together this puzzle. Against the backdrop of 2023 being the hottest year on record, the need for accurate emissions data has never been more urgent to make informed decisions to combat climate change.
From global mapping public satellites like TROPOMI to commercial high-resolution point source satellites like GHGSat, the focus is on a unified goal to provide the data we need to monitor and reduce the impact of emissions on our planet. Early last year, GHGSat was instrumental in mitigating a large leak in the UK, pinpointing its source to a faulty pipe – orbiting 500 km overhead. This timely and accurate detection not only helped reduce emissions but also highlighted the need to identify exact emission sources for immediate ground action.
In a statement reflecting GHGSat's commitment to action, Jean-Francois Gauthier, the Senior VP of Strategy at GHGSat, emphasized their focus on generating mitigations by providing relevant data to stakeholders promptly. He stated, “Identifying opportunities for methane emissions directly at the source is now the easy part. At GHGSat, we have an intense focus on generating mitigations, by putting the relevant data into the right stakeholder's hand, as quickly as possible so they can act. Our data is directly actionable, and we see so many emissions daily that the potential for significant reductions is massive.”
Leading the Way: Moving from Detection to Mitigation
Methane may be invisible to the human eye, but it has an outsized impact on global warming. Thanks to GHGSat’s satellite constellation, the invisible becomes visible due to its exceptional coverage, revisit ability, and low detection threshold of 100 kg/hr. This unique capability complements the data from other satellite systems, revealing emissions sources that are often hidden from view. In the oil and gas sector, leaks can originate at various points in the upstream and midstream value chain, such as the vast extraction, transmission, storage, and distribution systems typical of many countries. In regions like the Permian Basin, for example, pinpointing the source, whether a compressor station or a leaking pipe, is essential to solving the emissions puzzle. New entrants in emissions monitoring, with their area mapping of entire basins, complement the efforts of GHGSat, shedding light on the emission footprint of these regions.
This is not a case of one system over another; instead, these satellite systems can work in tandem, complementing each other to improve emissions monitoring. Using the global or area mapping capabilities of other systems like Sentinel 5-P or MethaneSAT, GHGSat can task its satellites to an area of high methane concentration. With its high-resolution sensor, lower detection threshold, and high revisit frequency—GHGSat can pinpoint the responsible facilities and characterize the persistence of emissions, enabling proper action prioritization. What’s most interesting is that GHGSat, with its 12 satellites in orbit, has already generated over 13 Mt of CO2e in methane emissions mitigation since its inception, with the confirmed elimination of dozens of leaks. The launch of additional satellite systems in 2024 will further reinforce this model, aiming to monitor every industrial site worldwide daily. GHGSat works closely with its customers, including oil and gas companies like Chevron, Shell and Total Energies, and landfill operators, governments, as well as with partnerships with space agencies like NASA and ESA.
Enhancing Emissions Monitoring with Spectra
GHGSat's Spectra, a proprietary data analysis platform, enhances the capabilities of its satellite monitoring system. It provides advanced analytics and visualization tools that enable users to gain deeper insights into emissions data, helping them make more informed decisions and take targeted action to reduce emissions.
In 2023, GHGSat's satellites detected methane emissions from individual sources in over 80 countries, totaling 378 MTCO2e from 2.7 million facility measurements, equivalent to 80 million gasoline-powered cars on the road for a year. With continued advancements, they are better equipped than ever to help operators reduce their emissions. This isn't just a vision of the future—it's already a reality. GHGSAT’s proven expertise and patent technology provide a single source of truth on your emissions to reduce its impact on the planet.
As more satellite systems enter service in the coming years, it will be crucial to ensure that they all work together, complementing each other’s strengths and weaknesses, to provide the best possible view of emissions globally. To learn more about GHGSat's satellite monitoring services and how they can benefit your organization, visit their website today.
