Nowhere to hide: Using satellite imagery to estimate
the utilisation of fossil fuel power plants
Images from Zhangjiakou power station in China
Our latest report presents the results from a revolutionary method pioneered by Carbon Tracker to estimate the utilisation of fossil fuel power plants.
The method uses publicly available satellite images and machine learning techniques to calculate the usage of each plant. This provides data for regions where data is inadequate for investors, policymakers and campaigners to make informed decisions.
The report applies this approach to China and finds that 40% of China’s coal power stations are losing money. This could rise to 95% by 2040 because of the cost of complying with air pollution regulations and a rising carbon price.