UPDATED 1 Sept: The EI library in London is temporarily closed to the public, as a precautionary measure in light of the ongoing COVID-19 situation. The Knowledge Service will still be answering email queries via email , or via live chats during working hours (09:15-17:00 GMT). Our e-library is always open for members here: eLibrary , for full-text access to over 200 e-books and millions of articles. Thank you for your patience.
New Energy World
New Energy World embraces the whole energy industry as it connects and converges to address the decarbonisation challenge. It covers progress being made across the industry, from the dynamics under way to reduce emissions in oil and gas, through improvements to the efficiency of energy conversion and use, to cutting-edge initiatives in renewable and low carbon technologies.
All that emits is not CO2: tracking methane emissions by satellite
4/12/2024
8 min read
Feature
Tracking and reducing methane emissions has long been stymied by outdated estimation methods and unreliable data, leading to widespread underreporting. The International Energy Agency (IEA) estimates that global methane emissions from the energy sector are around 70% higher than what national governments officially report. This striking discrepancy underscores the pressing need for more accurate and effective monitoring systems, reports Sara Siddeeq.
Advances in satellite technology are now transforming the landscape of methane detection and accountability. Pioneering initiatives like the Environmental Defense Fund’s (EDF) MethaneSAT and private operators such as GHGSat are at the forefront of this shift, leveraging cutting-edge technology to deliver unparalleled precision, transparency and real-time data access. These innovations are empowering regulators, environmental advocates and investors to pinpoint and address methane emissions with a level of accuracy that was previously unattainable.
So, why now? Until recently, there was little impetus to measure or curb methane emissions, with regulatory frameworks, market forces and societal demands largely absent. Companies and nations relied on generic emission factors and engineering estimates rather than direct measurements, resulting in a limited understanding of the true scale of the problem. Today, a confluence of technological breakthroughs and growing accountability is changing that dynamic.
Launched in March after six years of development, MethaneSAT addresses critical gaps in the methane-sensing satellite ecosystem. Equipped with a wide field of view, exceptional precision and fine spatial resolution, MethaneSAT can detect and measure even trace amounts of excess methane – down to as little as three parts per billion. It complements the capabilities of existing technologies like GHGSat and the EU’s TROPOMI, the Tropospheric monitoring instrument aboard the Copernicus Sentinel-5 Precursor satellite.