Market-led solution for emissions
OPINION: Thanks to the much-needed review of the methane science being announced, the topic of agricultural emissions is back in the discussion along with all the associated misinformation.
Having upped the ante in the alternative fuels segment for use in tractors with its T6 Methane tractor, last year New Holland took a majority interest in Bennamann, a company specialising in methane capture.
Using methane produced by capturing dairy herd effluent makes perfect sense, but the tricky part is capturing the gas before cleaning and compressing it ready for storage, thereby removing multiple storage vessels around the tractor.
Bennamann, based in the southwest of England, was founded in 2011 and over the ensuing years developed a circular model which reclaims fugitive methane from cattle and uses it to
The next part of the equation will be the development of methane capture at a commercial level on-farm, now being addressed with the resources that New Holland can bring to the table.
Already, development has led to the introduction of the world’s first liquefied fugitive methane tractor prototype, the New Holland T7 Methane Power LNG, which is operationally carbon negative when fuelled using Bennamann’s system. Research has found that a 120-cow farm operating our shared methane capture technology can reduce the CO2 equivalent of 100 western European households – about 780 tons annually.
Looking at the science of Liquified Fugitive Methane more closely, due to its high energy density, liquefied methane (a natural gas) is much easier to store and efficiently distribute than renewable energy sources such as hydrogen and compressed natural gas. This makes liquefied methane a direct and suitable replacement for fossil fuels in high power applications, even in the most remote locations such as construction sites.
OPINION: The recent Federated Farmers / Rabobank 2024 Farming Salaries Report revealed strong growth in farm salaries over the past two years.
The low unemployment environment is one of the key factors driving on-farm salaries higher over the past 24 months, says Rabobank general manager for country banking Bruce Weir.
Fonterra has appointed a new chief financial officer, seven months after its last CFO’s shock resignation.
A seminar on rural dispute resolution has been organised at Lincoln University, Christchurch this month.
The legacy of Dr Peter Snow continues to inspire as the recipients of the 2023 and 2024 Peter Snow Memorial Awards were announced at the recent National Rural Health Conference.
One of Fonterra’s global customers, Mars is launching an ambitious sustainable dairy plan to work with dairy farmers and cut emissions by 50%.