Teknologi Satelit: Melacak & Mengurangi Emisi Metana

Melacak Metode Pemanasan Global yang Tepat

When it comes to climate change induced by greenhouse gases, most of the public’s attention is on CO₂, as this is by far the most durable emission, staying stable in the atmosphere and increasing global temperature.

But another key factor is methane, a very powerful greenhouse gas, mostly released from leaks in coal, gas, and oil fields. Correctly assessing and reducing methane emissions is going to be crucial to reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

However, this is easier said than done, with emissions coming from oil & gas fields in remote areas or diffuse leaks from large-scale coal mines, or even agricultural operations and melting permafrost.

This is why a growing network of space-based sensors is being built to measure methane emissions. These constellations of satellites can detect methane directly from space, over a massive surface area at once, and precisely assess the situation.

As this tool gets ever more precise and produces real-time coverage of the Earth, high-quality data on both the timing and quantity of methane emissions is becoming available.

Emisi Metana 101

Mengapa Melacak Emisi Metana?

CO₂ is the main factor in greenhouse gas emissions, as this is by far the most abundant one, and also the one most produced by human activities.

However, methane, another greenhouse gas massively produced by human civilization, is much more powerful in its ability to trap heat (greenhouse effect). It is 28–34x more powerful than CO₂ at trapping heat over a 100-year period. On a shorter 20-year timescale, it is over 80 times more potent.

So while CO₂ might be the number that matters for long-term increase in temperatures, methane is very impactful for the immediate warming effect.

The extra issue is that feedback loops can accelerate warming. For example, warming melts icy ground in northern regions like Canada and Siberia, leading to more methane being released, and the darker ground absorbing more heat.

So short-term high levels of methane emissions can create accelerating short-term warming, which will then have a long-term effect on global temperature through acceleration of feedback loops, creating durable and potentially irreversible changes in global temperature.

So, even if, luckily, the atmospheric lifespan is on average only 12 years (then decaying into CO₂), it is far from just a transient effect that methane molecules can have on the climate.

As methane emissions are rising even more quickly than CO₂ emissions in the past few years, urgent action is required, itself requiring a clear picture of where the methane is coming from.

Sumber: IEA

Bagaimana Metana Diukur?

For local measurement, methane concentration can be measured with various sensors using different detection methods like flame ionization, lasers, catalytic beads, etc.

But for larger-scale measurement, infrared sensors are generally preferred, as they can detect methane plumes by detecting methane’s ability to absorb specific wavelengths in the infrared spectrum, in the Short-Wave Infrared (SWIR) range.

For even larger detection scales, satellites need to deploy even more precise measurements. So while the general principle is often to detect change in absorption in the SWIR range, additional technology is now being deployed.

One method is multispectral sensors that have a few wide bands of detection. While not specific to methane detection, sensors like those on Sentinel-2 and Landsat-8 can detect the large “super-emitter” plumes by comparing reflectance across their SWIR bands. This is good enough for a rough estimate and detecting the larger emissions, but this is inadequate for precise measurement and smaller emissions sources, therefore, missing a significant portion of the whole picture.

Another method is using imaging interferometers, which merge light sources to create interference patterns. This enables high-resolution detection of methane from small satellites, and is the method notably used by the GHGSat satellite constellation (see below).

Lastly, hyperspectral sensors can be used, which capture data across hundreds or thousands of narrow, contiguous spectral bands. This way, it covers the whole visible, near-infrared, and short-wave infrared ranges, creating unique spectral “fingerprints” for each pixel, allowing for detailed identification of materials making up the atmosphere at various altitudes, including methane. This is by far the most advanced method, and is deployed in PRISMA (Italy) and EnMAP (Germany).

With these new methods, satellite detection of methane emissions is getting ever more precise, and allowing for more efficient policies.

Inisiatif Pelacakan Metana Utama

A large array of satellite-based methane detection is being built or launched, creating a dense mesh of methane emission detectors, each with its own technical specification and useful niche usage.

Some are commercial initiatives, others are parts of public research programs regarding climate change, and others are linked to mixed private-public partnerships.

Sumber: MethaneSAT

GHGSat

GHGSat currently manages the largest commercial constellation for methane and CO₂ detection, with 16 satellites in orbit by 2026.

The company’s technology is able to detect methane emission at a resolution as small as 25 meters (82 feet), letting it point out individual gas & oil wells.

The company developed the first sensor for small satellites that can detect methane (CH₄) emissions. These patented imaging interferometers fit into very small (and therefore cheaper) satellites measuring just 20 x 30 x 40 cm (7.8 x 11.8 x 15.7 inches).

Sumber: GHGSat

This was a remarkable technical achievement by GHGSat, as they developed that capability with less than 1% of the investment of other satellite companies. And this created an observation capacity 100x more precise than many other satellites, able to detect methane reliably.

In total, the company had 534 MTCO₂e/yr of methane emissions detected with its satellites.

Sumber: GHGSat

The company is not only monitoring methane, but also CO₂ with GHGSat-C10 ‘Vanguard’, the world’s first commercial high-resolution CO₂ sensor. It is enabling precise measurements from carbon-intensive sites down to 25m on the ground.

“Satelit beresolusi tinggi kami membantu menempatkan metana—gas rumah kaca yang sebelumnya luput dari perhatian—di puncak agenda iklim. Untuk pertama kalinya, operator pabrik baja, pembangkit listrik, dan kompleks petrokimia akan memperoleh akses ke pemantauan dan data emisi yang independen, akurat, dan berstandar global.”

Stephane Germain, CEO GHGSat

Terakhir, perusahaan juga melakukan pengukuran melalui udara. Survei linear ini dapat mencakup hingga 800 km per hari pada ketinggian hingga 3.000 meter (500 mil—10.000 kaki). Pengukuran tersebut mampu mendeteksi dan mengukur emisi metana dari sumber individual hingga 10 kg per jam, sehingga memperinci hasil deteksi satelit.

Secara keseluruhan, sensor kecil dan murah yang tetap cukup presisi kemungkinan merupakan cara terbaik untuk memantau emisi metana dengan baik, karena penerbangan berulang dan cakupan yang konsisten diperlukan untuk mengukur emisi aktual. Pengukuran dari luar angkasa atau udara juga menekan biaya dan meningkatkan keselamatan karena tidak memerlukan akses langsung ke lokasi yang dianalisis.

MethaneSAT

Launched in 2024, this satellite is designed to bridge the gap between regional mapping and precision imaging, so it can track both large emitters and smaller dispersed sources.

MethaneSAT’s data shows emissions across a wide region represented on a gridded heat map. These are known as dispersed area emissions or dispersed sources. Grid cells have sizes such as 4 km x 4 km or 5 km x 5 km.

It can point out the source emitting methane at 500 kg/hr. This is enough to account for more than 80% of methane emissions associated with global oil and gas production.

Where MethaneSAT is weaker in resolution, it beats in precision, with detection of excess methane at 3 ppb (parts per billion), the highest precision compared to other satellites in orbit, thanks to two passive infrared Littrow spectrometers detecting oxygen, CO₂, and methane. This demonstrated the importance of measuring small methane emissions, and not just the so-called “super-emitters”.

“Sebanyak 70% dari sekitar 15 juta metrik ton metana yang setiap tahun berasal dari kegiatan minyak dan gas darat di wilayah kontinental AS bersumber dari sumber-sumber kecil dan tersebar yang melepaskan kurang dari 100 kilogram metana per jam. Hampir sepertiganya (30%) berasal dari lokasi yang melepaskan kurang dari 10 kilogram per jam.”

Pada akhir 2025, tim MethaneSAT telah memperoleh data dari 41 cekungan minyak dan gas di seluruh dunia, mencakup 25 negara dan 50% produksi minyak dan gas darat global. Hampir 800 peneliti, analis, dan pengguna teknis dari industri, pemerintah, akademisi, dan LSM memperoleh akses ke data Level 3 dan Level 4 kami melalui platform Google.

Pratinjau kemampuan ini dapat dilihat pada halaman terkait di Google Earth Engine Apps.

Carbon Mapper

Carbon Mapper is the result of a unique public-private partnership started in 2019 to develop and deploy two satellites with capabilities to detect and quantify methane and CO₂ super-emitters.

The project is funded by a 501 (c) (3) nonprofit organization, Carbon Mapper, which relies on the generosity of philanthropic funders.

On the technical side, organizations like NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), Planet Labs PBC (PL ), California Air Resources Board (CARB), University of Arizona, Arizona State University, Stanford University, Harvard University, University of Michigan, and RMI contributed their expertise.

On the financial and philanthropic side can be found High Tide (HITI ) Foundation, Bloomberg Philanthropies, and the Grantham Foundation for the Protection of the Environment.

“Dengan peluncuran satelit pertama kami, Carbon Mapper dan para mitra sedang berupaya memperluas ketersediaan data publik guna mempercepat pengurangan emisi di seluruh dunia.”

Riley Duren, CEO Carbon Mapper

The satellites are equipped to detect methane plumes, for example, from pipelines or flares, with emission rates as low as 70 kg/hr under moderate conditions (predicted 90% detection limit of about 100 kg/hr).

The instrument on Planet’s Tanager-1 satellite represents 5th-generation imaging spectrometer technology, designed by NASA JPL.

Sumber: Carbon Mapper

Before the first satellite launch in 2024, Carbon Mapper was using imaging spectrometers onboard airplanes to detect methane super-emitters, including AVIRIS-NG by NASA, JPL, and the Global Airborne Observatory by ASU’s Center for Global Discovery and Conservation Science.

AIRMO

AIRMO is a German-led initiative developing a constellation of satellites that will use a unique combination of LiDAR and SWIR (Short-Wave Infrared) sensors to track methane even through clouds or at night.

The SWIR pushbroom spectrometer will be capable of detecting methane columns with a ground sampling resolution of ~50m across-track at 500km altitude. The micro-LiDAR system will enhance detection accuracy and sensitivity beyond what spectrometers alone can achieve.

The system will combine the satellite data with airborne TDLAS sensors and use novel AI-driven data analytics.

AIRMO announced in Februari 2026 a strategic partnership with EnduroSat. EnduroSat will provide its patented cableless, modular design FRAME-15 software-flexible satellite, ESPA-class platform, with 70 kg of payload and 3.4 kW of power, a design already used in 120 operating satellites.

“Kami membutuhkan mitra yang mampu menyamai kecepatan dan ambisi kami. EnduroSat menghadirkan kedalaman teknis serta pengalaman pelaksanaan misi yang kami perlukan agar muatan kami mencapai orbit sesuai jadwal dan bekerja sesuai spesifikasi.”

Daria Stepanova – CEO & salah satu pendiri AIRMO

Satelit pertama dijadwalkan meluncur pada awal 2027 dan akan menjadi landasan bagi konstelasi lebih dari 12 satelit yang dirancang untuk menghadirkan intelijen metana global dalam skala besar dengan resolusi waktu yang belum tertandingi.

Pasar awal yang menjadi fokus mencakup infrastruktur gas Eropa, Asia Tengah, dan Timur Tengah—wilayah yang memiliki sebagian emisi metana tertinggi sekaligus paling kurang terpantau di dunia.

GESat / Copernicus (Europe)

The European Space Agency (ESA) is working on this project that saw the launch of the first satellite part of Absolut Sensing‘s constellation in 2025 in a SpaceX (SPCX ) rocket. The satellites are built around the standard CubeSat 12u platforms.

GESat GEN1 carries a combination of hyperspectral instruments to precisely identify methane emissions with high accuracy. This includes a wide range of infrared wavelengths detection, cooled by the CRYASSY system to improve instrument sensitivity and spectral resolution.

Sumber: Absolut Sensing

The mission will detect and quantify hotspot methane emissions with a threshold of 100 Kg/hour. An extra constellation of 3 satellites (CO₂M-A, -B, and -C) should be fully operational by the end of 2026 and add further data. The Copernicus initiative also leverages data from other constellations, notably GHGSat.

The data will be analyzed by a physics-guided machine learning model (AI) trained on petabytes of atmospheric and weather data. This will help improve measurement in all weather conditions, including when winds and other weather-related effects can deform the original emission data.

Sumber: Copernicus

PRISMA

PRISMA, or PRecursore IperSpettrale della Missione Applicativa, is an Italian Hyperspectral satellite launched by the Italian Space Agency (ASI) in Maret 2019.

It uses a prism spectrometer to split reflected light into 239 narrow, continuous spectral bands and covers the spectrum from 400 nm to 2500 nm, including visible (VNIR) and short-wave infrared (SWIR) light.

It ultimately combines a hyperspectral sensor with a 30m resolution (100 feet) with a panchromatic camera with a 5m resolution (16 feet) for sharp, detailed images, and a large 30 km swath width (18.6 miles).

This earlier generation of satellite is able to detect methane, but has also plenty of other applications in forestry, agriculture, urbanism, mineral exploitation, other environmental monitoring, and disaster management.

EnMap

EnMAP (Environmental Mapping and Analysis Program) is a German hyperspectral satellite mission launched in 2022.

It utilizes imaging spectroscopy to break down sunlight reflected from Earth into 246 narrow, contiguous spectral bands, from 420 nm to 2450 nm, spanning the visible, near-infrared (VNIR), and short-wave infrared (SWIR) regions.

Each pixel in an EnMAP image represents a 30 m x 30 m area on the ground. Like PRISMA, this is a multipurpose satellite, but it contributed important findings in methane emissions before the launch of more specialized satellites and constellations.

NarSha (South Korea)

NarSha is South Korea’s first dedicated methane-monitoring microsatellite constellation, made of more than 100 satellites, developed by the South Korean company Nara Space for launch in 2026, in collaboration with Seoul National University (SNU) and the Korea Astronomy and Space Science Institute (KASI).

The satellites are built using a compact 16U CubeSat standard, and an initial batch of 12 satellites will start to be launched in 2026.

The sheer number of these satellites could provide near-real-time global methane monitoring, with daily revisits to specific emission sources. It should display high resolution, with spatial resolution expected at less than 25–30 meters and high-precision methane-focused measurements, thanks to a spectral resolution finer than 1 nm (within the 1625–1670 nm methane band).

Memperbaiki Emisi Metana

Dari Mana Emisi Metana Berasal?

Thanks to more accurate measurements from all the satellites tracking methane, we now have a much more precise image of methane emissions than in 2020. Overall, oil & gas emissions are the largest from Eurasia (especially Russia and Central Asia), the Middle East, and North America, as well as surprisingly high levels from Africa.

Sumber: IEA

Bagaimana Emisi Metana Dapat Dikurangi?

Kebocoran, lokasi produksi bahan bakar fosil yang terbengkalai, dan pembakaran gas merupakan sumber utama metana yang sebenarnya dapat ditangani dengan biaya bersih yang nyaris nol.

Di antara berbagai solusi yang dapat diterapkan menggunakan teknologi dan sumber daya yang tersedia, beberapa di antaranya adalah:

• Providing clean energy access to fossil fuel-producing sites.
• Reducing flaring.
• Leak detection and repairs.
• Vapour recovery units.

Other measures like plugging leaky wells or coal mine degasification could be impactful as well, but are less crucial in absolute volume.

Sumber: IEA

However, the total spending is relatively small compared to the world economy, or for example, oil companies’ income or military spending, with the IEA estimate of $250B enough to cut most methane emissions.

“Kami memperkirakan diperlukan belanja sekitar USD 260 miliar hingga 2030 untuk menerapkan seluruh langkah pengurangan metana yang dibutuhkan guna mencapai penurunan emisi sebesar 75%. Rata-rata belanja tahunan yang diperlukan kurang dari 2% laba bersih yang dihasilkan industri bahan bakar fosil setiap tahun.”

Banyak investasi ini sebenarnya akan balik modal melalui emisi yang dapat dihindari dan pemulihan gas alam berguna yang bisa dijual atau dimanfaatkan. Namun, sejumlah inisiatif dengan keuntungan bersih negatif akan memerlukan pembiayaan langsung. Mengingat besarnya dana yang dibutuhkan, hal ini pun relatif mudah dibiayai oleh lembaga internasional.

“Kami memperkirakan kesenjangan pembiayaan untuk pengurangan metana dari bahan bakar fosil di negara berpendapatan rendah dan menengah sekitar USD 60 miliar—kurang lebih USD 40 miliar untuk operasi aktif dan USD 20 miliar untuk fasilitas terbengkalai.”

Berinvestasi dalam Pemantauan Metana

Google

Google is, of course, better known as an ultra-dominant search engine, a major tool for Internet ads, a cloud service provider, and a leader in AI technology. But it is also, via its Earth Engine, the primary partner for processing methane emissions data for global regulatory use.

Earth Engine combines satellite imagery with Google’s and its partners’ algorithms to deploy this information into usable, actionable, real-world applications.

This includes ready-to-use datasets covering everything from climate, weather, geography, and agriculture, or direct access with the Earth Engine API, available in Python and JavaScript.

“Untuk pertama kalinya dalam sejarah, Google Earth Engine memungkinkan pemrosesan sejumlah besar citra satelit secara cepat dan akurat, serta mengidentifikasi dengan resolusi tinggi di mana dan kapan perubahan tutupan pohon terjadi. Global Forest Watch tidak akan ada tanpanya. Bagi mereka yang peduli pada masa depan planet ini, Google Earth Engine merupakan anugerah besar!”

Dr. Andrew Steer, Presiden dan CEO World Resources Institute.

The data can be used for non-commercial purposes, in which case use is free under a strict set of conditions.

Sumber: Earth Engine

It can also be used for commercial purposes, giving the client company direct access to 50+ petabytes of analysis-ready data and unparalleled analytical processing power. This can be used to demonstrate the impact of ESG initiatives, identify environmental risks, optimize agricultural yields, compare potential sites for industrial facilities like photovoltaic plants, etc.

“Unilever berkomitmen mewujudkan rantai pasok bebas deforestasi pada 2023. Penggunaan platform geospasial yang memanfaatkan Google Earth Engine dan Google Cloud memungkinkan kami mewujudkan ambisi untuk menciptakan rantai pasok yang benar-benar berkelanjutan.”

Andrew Wilcox, Manajer Senior, Pengadaan Berkelanjutan & Program Digital, Unilever

Many companies have been built on the back of Google Earth Engine, for example:

• Earth Blox: Menawarkan antarmuka tanpa kode untuk Earth Engine sehingga dapat digunakan oleh pengguna nonteknis di sektor komersial
• NGIS: Focuses on delivering insights for the agriculture industry.
• Spatial Informatics Group (SIG): Berfokus pada dukungan pengambilan keputusan lingkungan, dengan keahlian dalam identifikasi vegetasi, analisis fenologi, dan pemantauan tanaman.
• Climate Engine: Mitra strategis yang menyediakan aplikasi inti terintegrasi dengan Google Cloud untuk membantu perusahaan mengelola sumber daya air dan risiko kebakaran hutan

Ini hanyalah satu dari banyak contoh kekuatan data bagi perusahaan seperti Google. Data tidak hanya dapat memberikan dampak positif besar bagi LSM dan kegiatan nonkomersial lainnya, tetapi juga menjadi sumber data yang tak tergantikan—serta sangat bernilai dan dapat dimonetisasi—bagi banyak perusahaan, baik secara langsung maupun tidak langsung melalui penyedia dan kurator yang mengolahnya menjadi wawasan praktis untuk industri atau penggunaan tertentu.

Memasuki era AI, kumpulan data berharga semacam ini akan terus meningkat nilainya, terutama bagi perusahaan seperti Google yang mampu memanfaatkannya secara maksimal melalui keahlian AI internal; model bahasa besar seperti Gemini hanyalah bagian kecil yang terlihat.

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