German Satellite Achieves First Simultaneous CO2 and NO2 Measurements from Power Plant Emissions

Breakthrough in monitoring power plant CO₂ and NO₂ emissions

A team from the Max Planck Institute for Chemistry and Heidelberg University has used the German environmental satellite EnMAP to simultaneously detect CO₂ and NO₂ in power plant emission plumes at a spatial resolution of just 30 metres. In 2022, industrial and power plant emissions accounted for around 55% of global CO₂ and 38% of NOₓ emissions. Monitoring these emissions is essential for evaluating international climate goals, such as the Pari…

Satellite monitoring simultaneously detects air pollutants for the first time

Discover how satellite monitoring will become more transparent and efficient by monitoring CO2 and NO2 at the same time.

German Satellite Achieves First Simultaneous CO2 and NO2 Measurements from Power Plant Emissions

Berlin, Germany (SPX) May 12, 2025 A research team from the Max Planck Institute for Chemistry in Mainz and Heidelberg University has achieved a significant breakthrough, using the German environmental satellite EnMAP (Environmental Mapping and Analysis Program) to simultaneously detect carbon dioxide (CO2) and nitrogen dioxide (NO2) in emission plumes from power plants for the first time. This advancement, enabled by the satelli