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Bennamann and New Holland are developing a farm-energy system that captures methane from stored livestock slurry, upgrades it into biomethane and uses it to fuel farm equipment or generate power. The approach has been demonstrated in U.K. pilots, but energy independence is a goal rather than a guaranteed result: commercial fit, economics and availability depend on the farm and its location.
What is the Bennamann–New Holland partnership?
Cornwall-based Bennamann develops systems to capture and use methane from agricultural waste. New Holland supplies methane-powered farm machinery, while its parent, CNH Industrial, connects the machinery with fuel-production technology and support. The companies say they began working together in 2019 on an LNG fuel tank for a tractor prototype. CNH Ventures made a minority investment in Bennamann in 2021; on March 15, 2023, CNH announced it had acquired a controlling interest. CNH’s announcement records a 50.0085% ownership interest after the additional acquisition. CNH’s partnership announcement
The combination is more than a tractor project: it links slurry management, gas processing, fuel storage and farm equipment. The intended result is to use a farm byproduct as an energy source, while returning processed manure material to land as a nutrient source.
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How does the manure-to-biomethane system work?
The process begins with gas already escaping from stored slurry. SmartCover is designed to cover a slurry lagoon, capture the gas and keep rainwater and air out. That differs from a conventional heated anaerobic digester, which processes feedstock in a controlled reactor to produce biogas. SmartCover’s role is principally to capture gas from slurry storage, not to make the lagoon itself a conventional digester. Agriculture.com’s system overview
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- Cover the slurry lagoon. SmartCover collects gas that would otherwise escape and can reduce rainwater dilution, potentially helping preserve storage capacity.
- Filter raw biogas. The captured gas contains methane, carbon dioxide and contaminants including hydrogen sulfide. The reported process removes hydrogen sulfide before further treatment.
- Upgrade the gas. The filtered gas is reported at approximately 50% to 70% methane. A compact or mobile Biocycle upgrader is intended to increase the methane concentration to vehicle-grade biomethane.
- Store and use the fuel. Biomethane can be compressed as CNG or, in an LNG pathway, liquefied for denser storage. It can then fuel compatible tractors or other equipment, or be used for energy applications such as electricity generation.
- Manage the remaining slurry material. The covered storage and processing system is intended to return nutrient-rich manure or digestate to the farm for use as fertilizer, subject to testing and appropriate application.
Bennamann’s described operating model for smaller installations includes bringing an upgrader to a farm, monitoring the site remotely with sensors and cameras, and scheduling activities such as mixing and digestate extraction through an app. Local New Holland dealers may support service. Those are company-described arrangements, not a universal service guarantee for every location.
Which tractors are involved, and what is their status?
The methane tractors differ in fuel format and commercial status. In particular, the T7 LNG machine should not be treated as equivalent to a production tractor simply because it has been demonstrated.
| Model | Fuel and intended role | Status established by cited sources |
|---|---|---|
| New Holland T6.180 Methane Power | CNG tractor that can use biomethane made from farm waste. | New Holland describes it as the world’s first commercialized compressed-natural-gas tractor. Availability and specifications vary by country; the cited material does not establish current U.S. dealer availability or pricing. CNH |
| New Holland T7 Methane Power LNG | Uses liquefied biomethane, with higher-density storage intended for greater working range. | Presented as a prototype or pre-production tractor, not a clearly documented mass-market model. CNH said its LNG system offered about four times the fuel storage of the T6 and more than doubled autonomy; those are company comparisons. CNH |
CNG and LNG are both methane fuels, but their storage systems differ. Compressed gas is stored under pressure; liquefied gas requires cryogenic equipment and handling. The T7’s claimed operationally carbon-negative performance is a company claim tied to the complete fuel-production system and its accounting boundary, not an independently established lifecycle result.
What does “farm energy independence” mean in practice?
It can refer to replacing some purchased tractor fuel, generating electricity, supplying heat or power, reducing manufactured-fertilizer purchases, or selling surplus energy. It does not by itself mean that a farm can disconnect from the grid or stop buying all fuel and other inputs. Actual coverage depends on manure volume and gas yield, storage design, equipment uptime, seasonal production, farm energy demand and access to a market for surplus gas or electricity.
A useful feasibility question is not whether a farm can become “independent,” but what share of its annual energy demand the system can supply, at what installed and operating cost. The available cited sources do not publish a complete installed price, fuel-production cost or generally applicable payback period.
What environmental and fertilizer benefits are claimed?
Bennamann testing is reported to show nearly a 90% reduction in a farm’s methane carbon footprint, including a hypothetical comparison of 800 tons of CO₂-equivalent emissions with 87.5 tons. Early tests are also reported to show more than a 50% reduction in purchased chemical fertilizer. These are attributed claims, not universal outcomes; the cited coverage does not provide enough independent methodological detail to apply the figures to a typical farm. Agriculture.com
CNH estimated that a 120-cow farm using the shared technology could reduce emissions by the equivalent of approximately 780 tons of CO₂ annually. That is a company estimate, not a guaranteed result for farms of that size. To interpret such figures, a farm needs the baseline and system boundary: whether calculations include avoided methane from uncovered slurry, displaced diesel and fertilizer, electricity use, equipment manufacture, transport and methane leakage. Nutrient-rich digestate can displace some fertilizer only where nutrient content, crop requirements, timing and local rules make that substitution practical.
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Which farms could be a fit?
Trade coverage cited a target range of roughly 100 to 5,000 cattle for SmartCover, while Bennamann’s more recent company material says biomethane solutions are typically most efficient at 300 cows or more. These are guidance points, not a universal eligibility threshold; herd size alone does not establish gas yield or financial viability. Bennamann’s farm-scale guidance
A prospective site assessment should establish:
- Annual slurry volume, storage capacity and seasonal consistency of gas production.
- Whether the existing lagoon can accommodate a cover, collection equipment, fencing and monitoring.
- How much fuel, electricity or heat the farm could use, and whether demand aligns with production.
- Whether there is a practical route to store, transport or sell surplus gas or electricity.
- Local technician coverage, parts availability and responsibility during equipment downtime.
- Permitting, inspection and insurance requirements for manure storage, gas processing, pressure equipment, vehicles and power generation.
- Installed capital cost and recurring service, monitoring, electricity and consumables costs.
- Independent performance data covering gas yield, leakage, uptime and lifecycle emissions.
Operations with high energy demand, substantial slurry storage and access to service and energy markets may have more ways to use the output. Smaller herds, unsuitable lagoons, low fuel demand or no reliable service route can make specialized infrastructure difficult to justify.
What are the safety and operating requirements?
Methane is flammable and can form explosive mixtures; hydrogen sulfide is toxic and corrosive. Lagoons also present serious access and confined-space hazards. CNG introduces high-pressure equipment, while LNG adds cryogenic storage and handling risks. A fenced installation and remote monitoring can limit routine exposure, but they do not replace safe operating procedures or qualified technicians.
- Restrict access to lagoon and gas-processing areas, and maintain fencing and warning controls.
- Use appropriate gas detection, inspection and maintenance procedures to identify leaks and manage contaminants.
- Keep emergency and confined-space procedures in place; do not enter a lagoon or gas enclosure without the required training and controls.
- Confirm applicable rules for pressure vessels, gas storage, fuel dispensing, electrical generation, manure storage and environmental permits in the relevant jurisdiction.
- For LNG installations, require specific cryogenic-system training and emergency planning.
How does it compare with other farm-energy options?
The best comparison depends on whether the priority is methane mitigation, tractor fuel, electricity, or the least complex route to lower-carbon energy.
| Option | What it does | Main trade-off |
|---|---|---|
| Bennamann-style covered storage and upgrading | Captures gas from stored slurry and upgrades it for on-farm fuel or other energy use. | Integrates with methane machinery but adds gas treatment, storage, safety and service requirements. |
| Conventional anaerobic digestion | Digests feedstock in a controlled reactor to make biogas. | Can produce useful biogas, but typically requires a larger and more infrastructure-intensive installation than covering an existing lagoon. |
| Covered lagoon without upgrading | Captures gas and may reduce fugitive emissions. | Does not necessarily produce tractor-ready biomethane. |
| Off-farm renewable natural gas | Uses gas produced and upgraded elsewhere. | Avoids installing an upgrader on the farm, but does not provide the same direct fuel-production loop. |
| Battery-electric equipment with renewable electricity | Uses electricity to power suitable vehicles and machinery. | Requires charging infrastructure and sufficient electrical capacity; suitability depends on equipment duty cycle. |
| Diesel equipment with lower-carbon electricity | Retains familiar machinery and fuel logistics while reducing emissions elsewhere in the farm energy mix. | Does not capture slurry methane or replace diesel combustion at the equipment. |
What is available now, and what remains uncertain?
Bennamann says that in 2025 it officially launched a CE-marked biogas upgrader and refuelling system and began field trials. That is a product milestone beyond an early prototype, but it does not establish broad retail availability, approval in every jurisdiction, or a published U.S. price list. Bennamann company history
The strongest public evidence described here concerns U.K. pilots and company demonstrations. The cited sources do not establish current U.S. or Canadian commercial availability, standard installation pricing, financing terms, operating cost, dealer coverage, guaranteed methane yield or a general payback period. Farmers outside the U.K. should obtain written confirmation of local product eligibility, permits, service capability and insurance requirements rather than infer availability from a demonstration or company announcement.
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