What if we could turn methane from manure into energy for farmers and communities, and thereby reduce methane and carbon emissions? What too, if this created income for farming businesses, provided an alternative fuel for their machinery, and created circular systems locally? 

With a number of farm trials underway and Cornwall authority exploring the potential, we held a ‘Methane Deep Dive’ event in Bristol on 16 May 2024, co-organised with the International Fugitive Emissions Abatement Association (IFEAA), to investigate. You can watch all the presentations below. For an overview of the issue and potential, our webinar ‘Methane, muck and money’ is also available. 

PART 1: How much methane is there? What if we’ve got it wrong?

1. VIDEO: Methane, agriculture and the UK inventory – Dr Laura Cardenas

How much methane is UK agriculture emitting? Dr Laura Cardenas, principal research scientist and atmospheric chemist at Rothamsted Research, works on calculating the annual GHG emissions of farming for the UK government. This goes into the national inventory and is supplied to the UN-IPCC. Here, she explains how she does it and what data she uses.

2. VIDEO: Are official estimates of methane emissions from manure accurate? Prof Andy Atkins

How confident can we be that the methane emissions from farm manure are being estimated correctly? What if emissions are higher than the national inventory? Prof Andy Atkins, chief scientist at IFEAA, and Prof Neil Ward, at the University of East Anglia, have been looking into research evidence. Prof Atkins presents.

PART 2: How does methane mitigation fit in to work to decarbonise farming and the energy system?

3. VIDEO: A roadmap for decarbonisation in agriculture – Prof Neil Ward

Mitigating methane emissions is vital to meet the global methane pledge (30% by 2030) – how does this fit with wider activities to decarbonise agriculture and the energy system, and what do we need to do to accelerate activity? Prof Neil Ward, from the University of East Anglia, and AFN Network+ co-lead, presents a roadmap for decarbonising agriculture. 

4. VIDEO: Barriers and enablers to anaerobic digestion adoption on farms – Angela Bywater

What are the barriers that hold the adoption of anaerobic digestion back? And what are the enablers that can help increase adoption, and reduce emissions? Angela Bywater, research fellow at the University of Southampton, presents. Angela is also the co-manager for the Environmental Biotechnology Network (EBNet), network manager for BBSRC’s Networks in Industrial Biotechnology and Bioenergy (NIBB), and project manager for Methanogen UK Ltd. 

PART 3: How do we mitigate emissions in practice, and are technologies ready for scaling-up? 

5. VIDEO: Small scale AD – converting manure waste into renewable energy – James Rundell

What are the practical and business challenges, opportunities and needs we should consider to enable wider adoption of methane mitigating technologies at the farm business level? James Rundell, is head of sales at QUBE Renewables, which designs, builds, and installs small-scale  anaerobic digesters. He presents on ‘converting your waste into renewable energy’. 

6. VIDEO: Modular AD for improved slurry management on farm – Eoin Sharkey

How could modular AD help farmers access the technology to turn methane into energy? Eoin Sharkey, founder & CEO of BioFactory Energy, which is developing micro-scale Anaerobic Digestion solutions for small to medium scale dairy farms, presents on ‘modular AD for improved slurry management’.

7. VIDEO: Full scale up – turning methane from farms into energy – Dr Chris Mann

How are technologies for turning methane from farms into energy progressing? How can this be scaled up regionally and nationally? Dr Chris Mann is the co-founder, chairman and chief technology officer at Bennamann, which works at all stages of the fugitive methane value chain. He presents on ‘progress towards full scale up’. 

8. VIDEO: The Waitrose farm journey towards net zero – Andrew Ferguson

What is the farmer’s perspective on progressing towards net zero emissions? Andrew Ferguson is the general manager at the Waitrose-owned Leckford Estate in Hampshire, where he has led the transition to a regenerative agriculture approach. He presents on ‘the farmer’s perspective – manure, methane and our journey towards Carbon Net Zero by 2035 at Leckford’.