Satellite thermal imaging brings new era for emissions reporting

Satellite technology has been used to track industrial CO2 emissions at the facility level, providing data that could change how environmental impacts are verified and reported.

UK-based thermal intelligence company SatVu collaborated with US geospatial firm Floodlight to demonstrate the ability of satellite imagery to monitor industrial emissions with a degree of detail that removes the reliance on self-reported data by companies.

The demonstration focused on one of Europe's largest steel plants in Dunkirk, France, which produces seven million tonnes of steel annually. Between February 2023 and September 2024, SatVu's thermal data documented the operational status of individual blast furnaces. The information collected revealed a clear connection between changes in operations and emissions output.

According to SatVu, the data showed that when all blast furnaces at the Dunkirk plant were operating in February 2023, emissions stood at 328,455 tonnes of CO2. By June 2023, with one major furnace permanently offline and another paused, emissions fell by over 50% to 161,663 tonnes. Emissions increased again to 230,905 tonnes in September 2024 as partial operations resumed. These shifts were precisely timestamped, capturing the shutdown and restart of furnaces and offering supporting evidence for the emissions calculations.

Floodlight's role in the collaboration involved applying atmospheric dispersion models to satellite data from NASA's OCO-2 sensor. By using the operational data pinpointed by SatVu's thermal imagery, Floodlight was able to align emissions calculations with specific periods when operational changes occurred.

The results of this approach highlight the potential of satellite-based monitoring to facilitate transparent and verifiable emissions reporting, coinciding with regulatory changes increasing the scrutiny of corporate emissions disclosures.

Industrial emissions reporting is undergoing a fundamental shift, what we're offering isn't just satellite imagery - it's operational intelligence. If you want to verify decarbonisation claims at the asset level, you need to see what's actually happening. That's exactly what this collaboration proves.

Regulatory frameworks such as the EU's Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD), the European Sustainability Reporting Standards (ESRS), and the Industrial Emissions Portal Regulation (IEPR) are driving new transparency standards. These regulations require companies not only to report their environmental impact, but also to disclose how climate change affects their business. Independent verification at the facility level is increasingly necessary to meet these requirements.

What we've demonstrated at Dunkirk changes the game for industrial emissions tracking. Companies can no longer rely on estimates or self-reporting alone - independent satellite verification provides the transparency that regulators and investors are demanding.

SatVu's high-resolution thermal imaging is able to observe day and night activity at 3.5-metre resolution, and, with its future satellite constellation, aims to offer up to 20 daily revisits. This capability affords ongoing monitoring across various sectors, including steel and cement manufacturing, oil and gas operations, and power generation.

The thermal imaging not only detects operational changes such as the activation or shutdown of industrial equipment but also helps identify environmental risks, including leaks and equipment failures. Additionally, it can assist with the verification of carbon capture and storage activities and monitor compliance with climate regulations.

SatVu and Floodlight maintain that their technical collaboration showcases the value of thermal data as a tool underpinning decision-making for regulators, investors, and other stakeholders seeking independent confirmation of emissions data and environmental risk.

The demonstration in Dunkirk establishes a scalable model that can be applied across industrial facilities and sectors to meet the evolving standards of regulatory compliance and climate accountability.