Quantification of CO₂ Emissions from Three Power Plants in China Using OCO-3 Satellite Measurements

Coal-fired power plants are a major carbon source in China. In order to assess the evaluation of China’s carbon reduction progress with the promise made on the Paris Agreement, it is crucial to monitor the carbon flux intensity from coal-fired power plants. Previous studies have calculated CO₂ emissions from point sources based on Orbiting Carbon Observatory-2 and -3 (OCO-2 and OCO-3) satellite measurements, but the factors affecting CO₂ flux estimations are uncertain. In this study, we employ a Gaussian Plume Model to estimate CO₂ emissions from three power plants in China based on OCO-3 XCO₂ measurements. Moreover, flux uncertainties resulting from wind information, background values, satellite CO₂ measurements, and atmospheric stability are discussed. This study highlights the CO₂ flux uncertainty derived from the satellite measurements. Finally, satellite-based CO₂ emission estimates are compared to bottom-up inventories. The satellite-based CO₂ emission estimates at the Tuoketuo and Nongliushi power plants are ~30 and ~10 kt d⁻¹ smaller than the Open-Data Inventory for Anthropogenic Carbon dioxide (ODIAC) respectively, but ~10 kt d⁻¹ larger than the ODIAC at Baotou.