Methane Monitoring

Methane Monitoring Data Supply for the UK is partnership between the Satellite Applications Catapult and GHGSat, funded by the UK Space Agency, to provide UK organisations with access to high-resolution methane emissions satellite data. This programme, in conjunction with other initiatives, will increase UK public, academic and private sector understanding of the benefits of satellite-derived greenhouse gas data.

It will also build a community of users for satellite-derived methane data and provide a new evidence source to research and develop methods to aid international agreements and domestic net zero policy.

The aims of the project are to:

1. Champion the benefits of space for UK industries including Oil and Gas, farming, large industrial processes and waste management – including supporting the realisation of business outcomes and helping to tackle the climate emergency.
2. Catalyse investment in satellite-derived data, applications, and services by non-space businesses to grow the market within the period of the project.
3. Enhance UK influence and reputation as a global leader in the exploitation of satellite-derived data applications and services.

Technical information about the data generally and specific information about the data set we are offering.

GLOBAL METHANE MONITORING DATA

Through this project, eligible users will have access to a large subset of GHGSat methane monitoring data. These data cover a range of sites of interest across the globe.

Sites of interest were selected across multiple industries, using past studies to identify potential sites where methane emissions are expected to occur. These sites were compared to GHGSat archive imagery, with a final selection of locations based on there being a minimum of one identified emission plume. For each selected location, all detected emission plumes between November 2020 and March 2023 are included in final data selection.

In additions, a smaller subset was recommended by GHGSat, from previous case studies including Coal Mines in China, and Oil and Gas Flare stacks in Algeria and Egypt. All archive observations over the UK are also provided.

INDUSTRY SECTORS

The 1,337 observations have been selected to cover a range of industries, including:

• Agriculture
  • Livestock farming
  • Abattoirs
• Extractive industries
  • Coal and mineral Mining,
  • Oil and Gas drilling and pipelines
  • Flare stack, excess gas burning
• Landfills
  • Known large landfill sites designated by region (EU, USA, Global)

European sites also include Waste Water Treatment facilities.

If you would like more information on accessing this data, its purposes, and next steps, please read our FAQ document. If you cannot find the answer to your question, contact our team at CH4.data@sa.catapult.org.uk.