Sensirion’s Nubo Sphere Sensor Locates Methane Leaks Reliably

Sensirion announced the development of Nubo Sphere, a stationary methane leak detection system. It is designed as a future-proof, end-to-end solution offering high performance at low total cost of ownership, thus changing the state-of-the-art in methane leak detection.

It has never been easier to reliably locate and quantify unintended methane emissions across various industries. The deployment of real-time, continuous methane concentration data enables leak detection much earlier than was previously possible through human interaction, ensuring fast, accurate and cost-saving damage control through rapid incident response actions for increased safety and a reduced environmental burden.

Methane (CH4) concentrations in the atmosphere have increased by more than 150% since 1750 and are considered a major contributor to global warming. CH4 has been identified as an even more powerful greenhouse gas than CO2, making an immediate reduction of emissions necessary.

Given its short-lived nature, there are actionable options that reduce the environmental burden on a short timescale. In the US alone, around 13 million tons of CH4 are being released into the air each year – enough to heat ten million homes for a year.

Studies show, however, that only about 40 % of CH4 in the atmosphere originates from natural sources such as volcanoes or permafrost soils, while the remaining percentage is caused by human activities. Reducing that portion of the total CH4 emissions has thus become a priority for leading nations across the globe.

And although anthropogenic emissions come from a variety of sources, the oil and gas industry represents the energy sector’s largest source of emissions, holding the key to responding to the world’s climate challenge.

Sensirion is therefore developing a stationary methane leak detection system, Nubo Sphere, for use along the whole oil and gas value chain. It is an end-to-end solution for real-time monitoring of methane emissions, offering high performance at low total cost of ownership. It is fast to deploy and easy to use, while two exchangeable sensor cartridges ensure low maintenance expenses and provide a future-proof, sustainable set-up.

“With Nubo Sphere, we enable various industries, including oil and gas, to locate and quantify methane leaks reliably and cost-efficiently. Sensirion’s offering is unique: cost-efficient yet highly reliable, easy to use and maintain, and based on yet another innovative sensor technology from Sensirion,” said Susanne Pianezzi, sales director at Sensirion.