Carbon Mapper released over 300 methane and CO2 plume detections. its first tranche of emissions data based on observations from the Tanager-1 satellite launched in August. Tanager-1 is built and operated by Planet Labs PBC and made possible by the Carbon Mapper Coalition, a philanthropically backed public-private partnership including Planet Labs and NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory. This data offers granularity on sources of super-emitters worldwide, driving direct actions to cut methane and carbon dioxide as proven by an early mitigation success story.
On Oct. 9, Tanager-1 detected a large plume of methane which Carbon Mapper determined was stemming from a gathering pipeline in the Texas Permian Basin. The team reported the leak to a state agency and the U.S. government, who subsequently notified the facility operator. The operator quickly responded and voluntarily conducted repairs, leading to meaningful emissions reduction. Follow-up observations from Tanager-1 detected no plume, confirming the leak was successfully fixed.
Carbon Mapper methane detections from Planet Labs’ Tanager-1 satellite
Carbon Mapper's preliminary emissions estimate of this leak is approximately 7,000 kilograms of methane per hour. Each hour it was emitting equaled the same CO2 emissions as driving 47 gas-powered cars for a year.
Tanager-1 observed this coastal region of Turkmenistan with a single image
This first verified methane mitigation action adds to existing evidence that when decision-makers are empowered with data on the exact sources of emissions, they can effectively prioritize actions that cut waste and eliminate methane. This mitigation is consistent with pilot airborne surveys Carbon Mapper has conducted in several U.S. states including California and Colorado. Through these pilots, Carbon Mapper has found that nearly half of the super-emitting events flagged for state agencies and operators were previously unknown, and once identified, were voluntarily mitigated.
"Tackling methane quickly is a crucial global priority. This early mitigation success story shows that remote sensing technologies with unique capabilities like Tanager-1 can be a game-changer in driving down emissions in the near term," said Carbon Mapper CEO Riley Duren.
Carbon Mapper methane detections from Planet Labs’ Tanager-1 satellite
To scale these local mitigation successes globally, Carbon Mapper is making new data from Tanager-1 publicly available on its data portal. These include detections of methane and CO2 in 34 countries across the oil and gas, waste, and agriculture sectors. This work is supported by the High Tide Foundation, Grantham Foundation for the Protection of the Environment, Bloomberg Philanthropies, Children's Investment Fund Foundation, AKO Foundation, and Zegar Family Foundation, among others.
Carbon Mapper detections from Planet Labs’ Tanager-1 satellite show CO2 from electricity generation
In the coming months, Carbon Mapper will continue to scale up observations and make methane and CO2 data routinely accessible to help decision-makers fill gaps in their understanding of the exact sources of emissions and empower mitigation action at the source. These routine detections will be made publicly available for non-commercial use 30 days after collection. Together, with complementary satellite programs, like the Environmental Defense Fund's MethaneSAT, Carbon Mapper will provide transparent data at different levels of granularity and ensure that the information gets into the right hands to catalyze faster and more effective emissions reductions.
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