Farming Technology TodayFarming Technology Today
  • News
    • Agricultural Drones
    • Animal Health
    • Artificial Intelligence
    • Autonomous Robots
    • Autonomous Vehicles
    • Biotechnology
    • Data & Analytics
    • Energy
    • Environment
    • Farming Equipment
    • Fertilisers
    • Harvesting Technology
    • Insect Farming
    • Internet of Things (IoT)
    • Livestock
    • Microsensors
    • Plant Health
    • Precision Agriculture
    • Robotics
    • Satellite Crop Monitoring
    • Soil Management
    • Sowing and Planting
    • Sustainability
    • Water & Irrigation
    • Weather & Climate
    • Weed Control
    • Yield Monitoring
  • Technology Features
  • Stock and Shares
  • Videos
  • Events
  • About This Site
  • Meet the Writers
  • Advertising
  • Email Newsletters
Twitter LinkedIn
  • About This Site
  • Advertising
  • Meet the Writers
  • Free Email Newsletters
LinkedIn Twitter
Farming Technology TodayFarming Technology Today
Get Weekly Email News Alerts >
  • Farming Technology
        • Agricultural Drones
        • Animal Health
        • Artificial Intelligence
        • Autonomous Robots
        • Autonomous Vehicles
        • Biotechnology
        • Data & Analytics
        • Energy
        • Environment
        • Farming Equipment
        • Fertilisers
        • Harvesting Technology
        • Insect Farming
        • Internet of Things (IoT)
        • Livestock
        • Microsensors
        • Plant Health
        • Precision Agriculture
        • Robotics
        • Satellite Crop Monitoring
        • Soil Management
        • Sowing and Planting
        • Start-Ups
        • Sustainability
  • Tech Features
  • Videos
  • Stocks & Shares
    • AGCO Corporation (AGCO)
    • Caterpillar Inc. (CAT)
    • CF Industries Holdings, Inc. (CF)
    • CNH Industrial NV (CNHI)
    • Corteva Agriscience (CTVA)
    • Deere & Company (DE)
    • Nutrien Ltd. (NTR)
    • Origin Agritech Limited (SEED)
    • S&W Seed Company (SANW)
    • The Andersons, Inc. (ANDE)
    • The Mosaic Company (MOS)
  • Events
    • Virtual
    • North America
    • Europe
    • MENA
    • Asia
    • South America
Farming Technology TodayFarming Technology Today
Features

How farms are making use of methane to target net zero

Jane CarleyBy Jane CarleyAugust 24, 2020No Comments
Biogas
Share
LinkedIn Twitter Facebook Email

In June 2019, the UK became the first major world economy to set a target for achieving net zero on greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions into law, with then Prime Minister Theresa May committing the UK to net zero emissions by 2050.

Emissions from UK farms amount to about 10% of UK GHG emissions but only a tenth of this is carbon dioxide; more than half of agricultural GHG emissions are methane (CH4) and nearly 40% are nitrous oxide (N2O). Reducing these emissions is more difficult than cutting carbon dioxide, because they result from complex natural soil and animal microbial processes, suggests the National Farmers Union.

Beef and dairy production has received considerable attention from lobbyists, who suggest that since cattle are significant producers of methane from flatulence and manure, reducing the amount of meat and milk consumed will help to address the issue. Research is also ongoing into modifying or supplementing cattle diets to reduce methane production.

However, farmers are already active in making use of manures for renewable energy production or to replace mineral fertiliser.

Cutting energy costs on farms with anaerobic digesters and biogas

The concept of using slurry for bioenergy production is nothing new, but it is usually just a minor constituent in feedstocks which also include higher energy sources such as maize, grass or food waste.

Belgian manufacturer Biolectric’s ‘micro’ anaerobic digesters are now being installed by individual dairy farms with slurry as their sole feedstock to produce electricity and hot water for the farm’s use.

Gary Hague of UK importer Dairy Energy explains: “Farms have slurry readily available as a waste product to dispose of, and while it doesn’t have a high energy content, it offers an opportunity to offset the cost of the farm’s electricity, and could cut its carbon footprint by 30%.”

Best suited to farming regimes where the cattle are housed for much of the year, slurry is pumped from the farm’s reception pit into the anaerobic digester, which breaks down the organic matter to produce biogas, used as a fuel in combined heat and power (CHP) engines to generate renewable energy. Once installed the system  is said to require just 15 minutes per day for maintenance and programming. The average size is 33kw output, which matches well to a 200 cow herd, points out Mr Hague, and its two CHP engines produce flexible amounts of electricity and hot water.

In addition to the power produced, the farm also benefits from digestate, in which nutrients are more readily available to crops than in slurry, cutting fertiliser costs.

“It’s a system that works well for dairy farms with robotic milking systems which have a high power requirement 24/7; these farmers are also used to programming and monitoring equipment,” comments Mr Hague.

The units fit neatly into existing farm layouts, he suggests, with a 33kw digester at just 14m diameter.

Where the digester produces hot water – which could also be utilised by the farmhouse – funding may be available under the Renewable Heat Initiative (RHI) which runs until 2021; after this the removal of other subsidies means that farm biodigester schemes could be eligible for other agricultural funding.

“Just by offsetting the electricity costs which can be £40,000-£50,000 a year, installing a Bioelectric system can pay for itself in 4-7 years,” comments Mr Hague.

Small biodigesters from Biolectric enable dairy farms to make use of slurry to produce electricity to cut business and domestic bills.
Small biodigesters from Biolectric enable dairy farms to make use of slurry to produce electricity to cut business and domestic bills.

Court Farm is a family run business located on the Gloucestershire/Herefordshire border in England, milking 260 Holsteins via four Lely astronaut robots, and has installed a 33kW digester.

Richard Carter, son-in-law of Mr & Mrs C Pugh who own the farm, says: “We saw it as a good add-on to our business to use our slurry to produce electricity and heat.”

“It has reduced our £35,000 electric bill by 80% so far. We are also going to receive a feed-in tariff and RHI, plus there are some hidden benefits as the digestate has a higher fertiliser value which in turn will reduce our bought-in fertiliser costs… we also feel it will put us in a better place for any future environmental legislation.”

He adds: “With electricity rising at an alarming rate the electricity and heat savings will save us in excess of £50,000 per annum. The hot water produced will provide heating in the farmhouse and our farm cafe along with hot water for the robots and washdown offering additional savings”.

2.Biolectric’s diagram shows the simple process which fits in with the farm’s infrastructure and energy demands.
Biolectric’s diagram shows the simple process which fits in with the farm’s infrastructure and energy demands.

Biogas tractors – reducing ‘well to wheel’ greenhouse gas emissions

Machinery manufacturers are considering alternative fuels to meet future environmental legislation which has already resulted in continued updates to engines to cut emissions.

New Holland’ s 179hp T6.180 tractor is capable of running on methane, CNG or LNG, and powered by an engine derived from sister company Fiat Powertrain (FPT)’s unit proven with alternative fuels in the Iveco Eurocargo trucks since 2004.

Methane fuel can be supplied by an AD plant, using biogas that has been upgraded and compressed, and New Holland is exploring the concept of the ‘energy independent farm’ with customers who produce manure or biomass as feedstocks for biodigesters or have such facilities on their doorstep.

This scenario would offer the greatest benefits in reducing ‘well to wheel’ greenhouse gas emissions.

“Using biomethane produced from liquid manure cuts emissions by 180% and takes the operation into negative C02 as the process captures gas that would otherwise have been released into the atmosphere,” explains Mark Howell, Global Head of Renewables for New Holland.

Opportunities could also be offered for a small group of farms working together to produce gas which is exported to a central injection point, fuelling two or three tractors on each farm.

Using CNG/LNG from the grid would also reduce the carbon content, but requires the use of proprietary kit to compress the gas to 200bar.

“This is a common method of fuelling in Europe and has been successfully used in the public transport sector in the UK. In addition to the environmental benefits, the cost savings can be impressive, up to 80%.”

New Holland’s methane powered tractor which can run on fuel produced by biodigesters on or local to the farm.
New Holland’s methane powered tractor which can run on fuel produced by biodigesters on or local to the farm.

The obvious way to make use of a gas-powered tractor is in yard work such as feeding livestock, where it is running for a set period each day and the tank is refilled overnight, although quicker fills can also be made for field work such as haulage, where the tractor can frequently return to the yard to top up. Applications including airport de-icing and hedge cutting are also being explored.

Purchase cost of the T6.180 comes at a 15-20% premium over the diesel version, but with savings of £8000/year have been calculated for a tractor putting in 3000 hours a year.


Nitrogen fertiliser from biogas digestate

The N2 plasma reactor fixes nitrogen from air by splitting the N2 and O2 molecules in air into N and O atoms forming nitrogen oxides. The nitrogen oxides are absorbed into liquid manure or biogas digestate and combined with free ammonia to form ammonia-N.
N2 plasma reactor processes

Norwegian company N2 Applied has developed a technology to produce nitrogen fertiliser on the farm, from manure or biogas digestate.

The nitrogen content of manure alone is too low for a balanced fertilisation for most crops, with further loss of ammonia (NH3) during storage and application.

Treating manure with a mix of nitrates (NO³) and nitrites (NO²) during storage and before application converts the ammonia to a stable fertiliser with high nitrogen content. This can more than double the effective nitrogen content of the manure, says N2 Applied.

The N2 plasma reactor fixes nitrogen from air by splitting the N2 and O2 molecules in air into N and O atoms forming nitrogen oxides. The nitrogen oxides are absorbed into liquid manure or biogas digestate and combined with free ammonia to form ammonia-N.

All N2 plasma reactors are connected to N2 Cloud where production data is stored and analysed, enabling remote operation and maintenance of the reactor.

UK business development director Chris Puttick explains: “We are releasing a small number of units into the market this year with innovative early adopters and strategic partners. At the same time we are further evidencing the yield enhancement from plasma treatment and significant emission reductions with independent research groups across Europe and the UK.”

N2 Applied’s reactor which takes digestate from the biodigester and turns it into a stable nitrogen fertiliser.
N2 Applied’s reactor which takes digestate from the biodigester and turns it into a stable nitrogen fertiliser.

Northern Ireland dairy enterprise Bingham Farm has installed the N2 Applied system with the support of AFBI and has established trial plots to show the yield benefits of treated digestate. The 750-cow herd is zero grazed with manure fed into the farm’s biodigester and Mr Bingham says: “The system has reduced ammonia emissions and cut odours in a region which is heavily populated with livestock so we are more environmentally friendly; it has also cut my reliance on chemical fertiliser, keeping our nutrients on the farm.”

Field trials at Bingham Farm in Northern Ireland, showing differences in grass growth – far left plot was treated with mineral fertiliser; far right with filtered slurry treated in the N2 applied reactor. Yield measurements are being compiled across the season.
Field trials at Bingham Farm in Northern Ireland, showing differences in grass growth – far left plot was treated with mineral fertiliser; far right with filtered slurry treated in the N2 applied reactor. Yield measurements are being compiled across the season.
Share. LinkedIn Twitter Facebook Email
Jane Carley

Jane Carley is a freelance writer and editor specialising in rural topics, including agriculture, groundcare and equestrian. The application of technology is a particular interest.

Related Stories

Autonomous Robots

Series A boost for Australia’s SwarmFarm Robotics and its Integrated Autonomy solutions

February 18, 2023
Autonomous Vehicles

Advanced Path Planning Technology announced by Trimble Autonomy

February 17, 2023
Latest News

Series A boost for Australia’s SwarmFarm Robotics and its Integrated Autonomy solutions

February 18, 2023

Advanced Path Planning Technology announced by Trimble Autonomy

February 17, 2023

Loam Bio’s endophyte harnessing technology receives fresh investment

February 17, 2023
Upcoming Events
  1. World Agri-Tech Innovation Summit 2023

    March 14 @ 8:00 am - March 15 @ 5:00 pm
  2. 15TH ANNUAL GLOBAL AGINVESTING – New York 2023

    April 3 - April 5
  3. Foodex 2023

    April 24 @ 9:00 am - April 26 @ 5:00 pm
  4. Agritech Israel 2023

    May 2 @ 8:00 am - May 4 @ 5:00 pm

View All Events

In the Spotlight

Reducing methane emissions from cattle and dairy farming

November 15, 2021By Matt Peskett

At COP26 this month, 105 countries including the US, Canada and Brazil promised to reduce…

Visited our sister title?
Site Information

About This Site
Advertising
Meet the Writers
Free Email Newsletters

LinkedIn Twitter
  • Vertical Farming Today
© 2022 Food & Farming Technology is a Firetop Media publication by Firetop Ltd 4854392 | © Editorial images: stock.adobe.com | All rights reserved
Privacy Policy | Cookie Policy

Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.

We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. By clicking “Accept All”, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies. However, you may visit "Cookie Settings" to provide a controlled consent.
Cookie SettingsAccept All
Manage consent

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary
Always Enabled
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously.
CookieDurationDescription
cookielawinfo-checkbox-advertisement1 yearSet by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin, this cookie is used to record the user consent for the cookies in the "Advertisement" category .
cookielawinfo-checkbox-analytics1 yearSet by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin, this cookie is used to record the user consent for the cookies in the "Analytics" category .
cookielawinfo-checkbox-necessary1 yearSet by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin, this cookie is used to record the user consent for the cookies in the "Necessary" category .
elementorneverThis cookie is used by the website's WordPress theme. It allows the website owner to implement or change the website's content in real-time.
PHPSESSIDsessionThis cookie is native to PHP applications. The cookie is used to store and identify a users' unique session ID for the purpose of managing user session on the website. The cookie is a session cookies and is deleted when all the browser windows are closed.
Advertisement
Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads.
CookieDurationDescription
ab1 yearOwned by agkn, this cookie is used for targeting and advertising purposes.
CMID1 yearCasale Media sets this cookie to collect information on user behavior, for targeted advertising.
CMPRO3 monthsCMPRO cookie is set by CasaleMedia for anonymous user tracking, and for targeted advertising.
CMPS3 monthsCMPS cookie is set by CasaleMedia for anonymous user tracking based on user's website visits, for displaying targeted ads.
CMST1 dayCasale Media sets this cookie to collect information on user behavior, for targeted advertising.
DSID1 hourThis cookie is set by DoubleClick to note the user's specific user identity. It contains a hashed/encrypted unique ID.
id1 year 1 monthSet by Google DoubleClick, this cookie is used to create user profiles to display relevant ads.
IDE1 year 24 daysGoogle DoubleClick IDE cookies are used to store information about how the user uses the website to present them with relevant ads and according to the user profile.
KADUSERCOOKIE3 monthsThe cookie, set by PubMatic, registers a unique ID that identifies a returning user's device across websites that use the same ad network. The ID is used for targeted ads.
KTPCACOOKIE1 dayThe cookie, set by PubMatic, registers a unique ID that identifies a returning user's device across websites that use the same ad network. The ID is used for targeted ads.
mc1 year 1 monthQuantserve sets the mc cookie to anonymously track user behaviour on the website.
mdata1 year 1 monthThis cookie is used by Media Innovation group and registers a unique ID to identify a visitor on their revisit, in order to show them relevant ads.
OAGEOsessionOpenX sets this cookie to avoid the repeated display of the same ad.
OAID1 yearCookie set to record whether the user has opted out of the collection of information by the AdsWizz Service Cookies.
ov1 year 1 monthThis cookie is set by the provider mookie1.com. This cookie is used for serving the user with relevant content and advertisement.
pxrc2 monthsThis cookie is set by pippio to provide users with relevant advertisements and limit the number of ads displayed.
rlas31 yearRLCDN sets this cookie to provide users with relevant advertisements and limit the number of ads displayed.
test_cookie15 minutesThe test_cookie is set by doubleclick.net and is used to determine if the user's browser supports cookies.
uuid3 monthsMediaMath sets this cookie to avoid the same ads from being shown repeatedly and for relevant advertising.
VISITOR_INFO1_LIVE5 months 27 daysA cookie set by YouTube to measure bandwidth that determines whether the user gets the new or old player interface.
YSCsessionYSC cookie is set by Youtube and is used to track the views of embedded videos on Youtube pages.
yt-remote-connected-devicesneverYouTube sets this cookie to store the video preferences of the user using embedded YouTube video.
yt-remote-device-idneverYouTube sets this cookie to store the video preferences of the user using embedded YouTube video.
Analytics
Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc.
CookieDurationDescription
__gads1 year 24 daysThe __gads cookie, set by Google, is stored under DoubleClick domain and tracks the number of times users see an advert, measures the success of the campaign and calculates its revenue. This cookie can only be read from the domain they are set on and will not track any data while browsing through other sites.
_ga2 yearsThe _ga cookie, installed by Google Analytics, calculates visitor, session and campaign data and also keeps track of site usage for the site's analytics report. The cookie stores information anonymously and assigns a randomly generated number to recognize unique visitors.
_gat_gtag_UA_154262053_11 minuteSet by Google to distinguish users.
_gid1 dayInstalled by Google Analytics, _gid cookie stores information on how visitors use a website, while also creating an analytics report of the website's performance. Some of the data that are collected include the number of visitors, their source, and the pages they visit anonymously.
CONSENT2 yearsYouTube sets this cookie via embedded youtube-videos and registers anonymous statistical data.
u1 yearThis cookie is used by Bombora to collect information that is used either in aggregate form, to help understand how websites are being used or how effective marketing campaigns are, or to help customize the websites for visitors.
uid1 year 1 monthThis is a Google UserID cookie that tracks users across various website segments.
Others
Other uncategorized cookies are those that are being analyzed and have not been classified into a category as yet.
CookieDurationDescription
GoogleAdServingTestsessionNo description
ppwp_wp_session30 minutesNo description
Functional
Functional cookies help to perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collect feedbacks, and other third-party features.
CookieDurationDescription
na_id1 year 1 monthThe na_id is set by AddThis to enable sharing of links on social media platforms like Facebook and Twitter.
na_rn1 monthThe na_rn cookie is used to recognize the visitor upon re-entry. It allows to record details on user behaviour and facilitate the social sharing function provided by Addthis.com.
na_sc_e1 monthThe na_sc_e cookie is used to recognize the visitor upon re-entry. It allows to record details on user behaviour and facilitate the social sharing function provided by Addthis.com.
na_sr1 monthThe na_sr cookie is used to recognize the visitor upon re-entry. It allows to record details on user behaviour and facilitate the social sharing function provided by Addthis.com.
na_srp1 minuteThe na_srp cookie is used to recognize the visitor upon re-entry. It allows to record details on user behaviour and facilitate the social sharing function provided by Addthis.com.
na_tc1 year 1 monthThe na_tc cookie is used to recognize the visitor upon re-entry. It allows to record details on user behaviour and facilitate the social sharing function provided by Addthis.com.
ouid1 year 1 monthAssociated with the AddThis widget, this cookie helps users to share content across various networking and sharing forums.
Performance
Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors.
CookieDurationDescription
d3 monthsQuantserve sets this cookie to anonymously track information on how visitors use the website.
SAVE & ACCEPT
Powered by CookieYes Logo