The Press and Journal (Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire)
Plasma technology bid to improve pig welfare and cut emissions
THE UK’s National Pig Centre has signed a partnership deal with Norway-based N2 Applied in a bid to reduce emissions and help the environment.
In its N2 Unit, N2 Applied has developed plasma technology that reduces emissions from slurry while increasing its nutrient content, leaving a more valuable fertiliser.
The £11 million National Pig Centre in Yorkshire is the UK’s most advanced facility for research and innovation on commercial pig production, focusing on sustainability, nutrition, animal behaviour, health and welfare, with the ambition of reducing emissions to support more sustainable farming.
N2 Applied has already been researching its technology on a number of dairy farms, but this is the first time its N2 Unit has been implemented on a working UK pig farm to assess its potential for circular farming.
Previous independent trials in Europe have seen emissions of both ammonia and methane practically eliminated, as have trials by agricultural consultancy ADAS in the UK. Grass and wheat yields have also improved markedly through use of the resulting material as a sustainable, nitrogenrich fertiliser.
The assessment at the National Pig Centre will explore animal health benefits, soil health improvements and optimising nutrient use efficiency in pig production. Beyond reduced emissions, methods that improve soil health and recycling of organic waste can facilitate a more circular economy for farmers and food producers.