Scaling and Extending Quantum Lidar for Methane (SEQLM)

Manmade methane emissions cause 25% of global heating but also present a golden opportunity to decisively act on the climate crisis. About 40% of these emissions come from leaks from fossil fuel exploration, production and transportation so the measures to plug these leaks could pay for themselves by selling the extra gas captured. To do this however it is crucial to locate and quantify the methane leaks.

Unfortunately, existing technologies are either simple and prone to error or complex, expensive and require highly trained field staff.

QLM Technology Ltd was founded on the idea that quantum lidar systems could be developed into long-range low-cost 'security cameras' that continuously and autonomously image and quantify methane emissions. Lidars use the reflections of a laser beam off of solid objects to measure the distance to everything around them so are being widely used to image the surrounding of autonomous cars.

Quantum technology researchers use single-photon avalanche detectors (SPADs) to detect the very smallest signals of light. QLM uses all that with a laser that rapidly scans wavelength across a methane absorption line. QLM's Quantum Gas Lidar (QGL) sees solid objects and methane gas leaks all around as far away as 200m.

QLM was funded by Innovate UKs' Quantum Technology Programme and by investors including gas industry leader SLB. We are working closely with SLB End-to-end Emissions Solutions (SEES), a new business dedicated to eliminating methane emissions from oil and gas production and distribution, to deploy QGL systems worldwide. We have been awarded 4 UK and USA patents and are building a manufacturing facility in Paignton with the potential to produce thousands of units.

This project will help continue QGL optimization and qualification to industrial standards and the development of our QGL manufacturing line. As well as SEES business QLM is also seeing strong demand from other customers at gas utilities, waste-water treatment, coal mining and biogas energy converters. To address these this project will help develop QLM's own commercial cloud analytics platform.

And for both ourselves and SLB we will also extend the QGL with explosion proof certification, and develop a next generation lidar system that is smaller, lower cost, higher speed and mobile.

By developing a revolutionary product with a growing international market QLM is helping to establish the UK as a leader in practical quantum technology innovation.