A study by the LARS-IIAMA UPV group detects methane emissions in the palm oil industry in Indonesia, Malaysia and Colombia

A team of researchers from the Universitat Politècnica de València (UPV), belonging to the LARS-IIAMA group, has used satellite technology to detect methane emissions in the palm oil industry in Indonesia, Malaysia and Colombia. Their study, published in the journal Environmental Research Letters, represents a new advance in the use of this technology to identify sources of greenhouse gas emissions. These leaks were already known, but this is the first time a scientific study has provided maps and images showing how the methane escapes.

The work, led by Adriana Valverde and with the participation of Javier Roger, Javier Gorroño, Itziar Irakulis and Luis Guanter, shows how remote methane detection technologies, especially satellite and airborne spectrometers, are key in the fight against climate change.

‘ Methane is a greenhouse gas with a warming potential 80 times greater than carbon dioxide over 20 years. These emissions, many of which are anthropogenic in origin - caused by people - manifest themselves as methane plumes, i.e. plumes or clouds of gas that are released and rise from the earth's surface into the atmosphere,’ explains Luis Guanter, head of the LARS group.

Proposals for improvement and mitigation

In this context, the research confirms that palm oil processing is a significant source of such emissions, mainly due to the treatment of effluents in anaerobic ponds.

‘ Conventional treatment systems generate large amounts of methane, which underlines the urgency of articulating technologies to mitigate these emissions,’ says Adriana Valverde, lead author of the study.

As an improvement solution, the research highlights the need to implement biogas systems to capture methane and convert it into renewable energy. This could significantly reduce methane emissions, helping to boost the circular economy.

The potential of satellite and airborne spectrometers

The research used advanced technologies to identify methane emissions from palm oil (POM) processing plants in Indonesia and Malaysia, the world's largest producers, as well as in Colombia. Specifically, the AVIRIS-NG airborne spectrometer and satellites such as GHGSat, PRISMA, EnMAP and EMIT were used.

‘We identified two methane emissions in Colombia using AVIRIS-NG, three in Indonesia using GHGSat, and more than twenty through EnMAP, PRISMA and EMIT in Indonesia, Malaysia and Colombia. These data coincide with previous studies, which validates the effectiveness of these technologies,’ says Adriana Valverde, pre-doctoral researcher at IIAMA.

However, the research highlights limitations in the capacity of some satellites, such as PRISMA and EnMAP. For this reason, the LARS-IIAMA team suggests that the next generation of satellites should improve both in sensitivity and spatial coverage to achieve more accurate and detailed monitoring.

‘ Additional flight campaigns are needed to better characterise methane emissions from palm oil processing plants. These actions could improve monitoring strategies and provide a more robust approach to mitigation,’ says the IIAMA researcher.

Importance of the research developed

Finally, the LARS group argues that this study opens up a new area of research into the detection of methane emissions from space and offers more information to develop immediate and cost-effective solutions for emissions mitigation.

‘The findings underline the importance of investing in advanced space technologies to effectively address environmental challenges, including the need for future satellites to be able to more accurately estimate emissions not only in the palm oil industry but also in methane sources such as agriculture, wetlands and permafrost,' they conclude.

Reference

Adriana Valverde et al. 2024 Environ. Detecting methane emissions from palm oil mills with airborne and spaceborne imaging spectrometers Res. Lett. 19 124003 DOI 10.1088/1748-9326/ad8806