AgriFoodTure’s current project portfolio consists of 17 projects which contributes to the green transition of the food and agriculture system. One of the projects is CH4VENT which project manager Søren O. Petersen from Aarhus University answers 4 questions about here:
What is your goal with the project?
Surface crusts forming on liquid manure during storage develop a rich microbiology, including bacteria that oxidize methane. This project explores a novel technology, developed at Aarhus University, for optimizing methane removal through self-regulating ventilation of storage tanks with surface crusts and a tent cover. The technology will be tested at a commercial scale.
What are the perspectives?
Reducing methane emissions from manure can contribute to slowing down global warming. Manure management contributes to 85% of methane emissions on pig farms and, on average, 25% on dairy farms. If the technology can be validated at full scale, it presents a potential mitigation strategy that could be implemented on existing storage tanks, including in organic farming.
What is the current status of the project?
In 2023, the methane oxidation activity and community composition were investigated in selected crust materials. A ventilation control unit is currently being constructed, and the unit will be installed on-site in May at a farm with two parallel storage tanks, one with and one without active ventilation control. Independent measurements of methane emissions will then be carried out.
What have you found out so far?
Results from the pilot scale suggest that methane oxidation takes place at depth in the crust. The challenge of ventilation control is to ensure that both oxygen and methane are available with minimum air exchange. Existing storage covers have openings for passive ventilation, and the importance of this for ventilation control will be evaluated.
