Interreg

The project, which has been running since June 2020 and is being carried out by 5 Dutch and German parties active in the field of agriculture, is realising two concrete technical pilots and a concept study. The project reduces nitrogen and CO2 emissions at various points in the supply chain on cattle and biogas farms. Furthermore, measures are being developed to turn the energy input of dairy farms into energy output.
In a first pilot, the development of a precision injection system for liquid animal manure in arable crops was started. Initial calculations indicate a reduction of ammonia and nitrate emissions of at least 60%, while boosting plant growth. Mechanical weed removal can also be carried out in a single work step. The project expects to be able to significantly reduce the use of energy-intensive artificial fertilizer and significantly reduce the CO2 footprint.
In a second pilot, an intelligent drainage and pumping system will be developed for farm and silage drainage. Based on online measurements and weather data, the system can automatically determine what will be done with the water. Based on the cascade concept, the water can be used for biogas production, pumped to a retention basin with plant/algae purification or to the slurry store. In the case of application in an algae reactor, a waste stream from low-grade biomass is turned into a high-quality product. Ultimately, nitrogen emissions are also greatly reduced and legal restrictions, which are being made more stringent in both countries, are anticipated.
In a third part, an innovative concept of a low-emission, and at the same time energy-producing shed will be developed on the basis of concrete measurements and solutions for an exemplary farm, so that it can be realised at a later stage outside the project. With smart combinations of equipment such as biogas and PV installations, slurry processing, roof installation and heat reuse, as well as separate treatment of liquid and solid manure and air cleaning systems, a livestock farming system is developed that produces energy and minimises emissions.

The project results are presented at regular intervals. See www.dnl-contact.de/nl/ac. The manure injector is currently under construction and will undergo its first field test in spring 2021.

To project (external link)