We were excited to be involved in an innovative project developed by Lincoln University and Ravensdown to drastically reduce the methane emissions from dairy effluent.
With methane reduction being one key area the agriculture industry must focus on to enable New Zealand to meet its climate change target for 2030 and beyond, the collaboration is set to be a game-changer.
EcoPond system
Launched on 10 November, EcoPond is a new treatment system that cuts methane gas emissions by up to 99% using iron sulphate, a safe additive used in the treatment of drinking water. In addition, EcoPond also slashes the amount of E.coli in the treated effluent by up to 99.9%, reduces ammonia emissions, mitigates odour, and cuts phosphate leaching losses from effluent into waterways by up to 90%.
The initial discovery came about accidentally while Lincoln University professor Keith Cameron and colleague professor Hong Di were developing a system for recycling water.
“In testing the ClearTech system for unintended consequences we found that the gases we collected off the effluent in experimental set-ups indicated a reduction in methane emissions of greater than 90 percent,” said Prof Di.
“This was a stunning result. In science, it’s rare to achieve such a large influence on an experiment.“
“So, encouraged by this finding, we tested the system using farm-sized effluent storage tanks and nervously waited to see what would happen. The result exceeded our wildest hopes, achieving a methane emission reduction of 99.9%.“
EcoPond testing
EcoPond can be retrofitted to existing effluent systems and once installed, computers control everything, while the farmer goes about their business.
Aotea Electric Canterbury completed the electrical work on the first systems. We were delighted to be involved in this project given our commitment to sustainability and the environment.
“This new tool in the farmer’s toolbox has the benefit of robust science behind it and will assist farmers who want to start tracking towards that target now,” said Ravensdown General Manager of Innovation and Strategy Mike Manning.
If all dairy farms were to use EcoPond, their methane emissions reduction would be halfway towards the total 2030 target.
Prof. Hong Di, Prof. Keith Cameron, and Ravensdown Product Manager Carl Ahlfeld
Head over to the Ravensdown website to find out more about the process, and watch their explainer videos.