GHGSat, the global leader in high-resolution satellite monitoring of greenhouse gas emissions, is thrilled to announce an expanded agreement with the European Space Agency’s (ESA) prestigious Earthnet Third-Party Mission (TPM) program.
This collaboration ensures free access to our high-resolution greenhouse gas emissions data for researchers tackling climate change, atmospheric composition, or emissions science.
Launched in 2018, ESA’s Earthnet TPM program meticulously evaluates independent Earth Observation (EO) datasets, assessing their quality and validation protocols. Inclusion in the program signifies the exceptional quality and accuracy of GHGSat’s data. If accepted, ESA provides this data for free to the broader scientific community through an evaluation process through which proposals can be submitted. The program fosters collaboration and innovation by making accurate emissions data more accessible and interoperable to promote new science applications.
Building on Success: Enhanced Support for Climate Science
GHGSat achieved TPM status in 2022, and since then it has provided data to scientists through this program. Over this period, GHGSat has supported over 350 observations for more than 25 scientific studies. This follow-on agreement ensures that GHGSat data will continue to be available to help advance science and understanding of greenhouse gases. New enhancements have been added, including:
- Increased Funding: More resources to support a wider range of extended scientific studies globally.
- Streamlined Data Offering: A research-focused data bundle that simplifies access for researchers.
- Subscription Model: A new option for high-volume, high-frequency monitoring projects.
- Comprehensive Access: Full access to data from the entire GHGSat constellation, consisting of 11 satellites dedicated to methane detection.
Real-World Impact – Detecting a Methane Leak from Space
Methane is recognized as a critical driver of global warming. The scientific community, including ESA, sees identifying and addressing both natural and human-caused methane emissions as a critical climate action priority. GHGSat’s commercial constellation can measure emissions at a facility level from any site globally, daily, with a proven detection threshold of 100kg/h— a capability orders of magnitude lower than the detection threshold of any public satellites. In addition to supporting scientific research, GHGSat data distributed through Third-Party Missions programs has also been useful for driving mitigation efforts.
A real-world measurable impact of this is detection of a methane leak from a faulty pipe in Cheltenham, Gloucestershire (UK) in 2023. The discovery, by NCEO researchers at the University of Leeds used GHGSat data to detect this significant methane leak. This was the first time a methane emission in the UK was identified from space, which was mitigated by the pipeline owner. The leak rate was estimated at over 200 kg/hour, equivalent to the annual electricity consumption of over 7,500 homes!
A scientific study published in the journal Environmental Science & Technology validated the accuracy of GHGSat’s data and the effectiveness of this satellite-based approach to leak detection.
“We’re honored to be recognized by ESA as a leading Third-Party Mission in atmospheric science and emissions monitoring,” says Carles Debart, Director of Business Development for Europe – Institutional Customers at GHGSat. “This expanded agreement underscores the research community’s confidence in the quality of GHGSat data. They’re integrating it into their research portfolios to complement other public data sources, accelerating our collective understanding of climate change.”
