British company develops the first-ever tractor that runs completely on cow dung

• The 270bhp tractor runs on fuel captured from cow dung.
• Cow dung is treated, compressed, and turned into low-emission fuel using a processing unit.
• The tractor can reduce carbon dioxide emissions from 2,500 to 500 tonnes a year.

Cow waste or cow dung has been traditionally used as a crop fertilizer for decades because of its organic content. But now, a British company has created a ‘New Holland T7’ tractor that runs on cow dung. This tractor could be a game changer in the green energy-striving agriculture industry.

Agricultural company CNHA Industrial partnered with Bennamann, a company that specializes in methane energy products, to create this green-energy tractor. The New Holland T7 tractor boasts 270 horsepower and runs on fuel captured from farmyard manure. The tractor is said to match the performance of standard diesel-powered versions.

How does it work?

It works by collecting waste by-products from cows into a biomethane storage unit. The cow waste product releases a gas known as fugitive methane that is then treated, compressed, and turned into the low emission fuel using a processing unit.

The cryogenic tank fitted on the tractor keeps the methane in liquid form at -162 degrees giving the tractor significant power and emission savings. Furthermore, methane can be transported similarly to diesel using the cryogenic storage tank.

Bennamann’s patented non-venting cryogenic storage tank.

The machine is developed by the Cornish company Bennamann, which has been researching and developing biomethane products for decades.

The tractor was put in a pilot run on a farm in Cornwall where carbon dioxide emissions were slashed from 2,500 tonnes to 500 tonnes in just a year.

Bennamann co-founder Chris Mann said, “The T7 liquid methane-fuelled tractor is a genuine world-first and another step towards decarbonising the global agricultural industry and realizing a circular economy.”

This new fuel technology will be scalable and affordable energy option for farmers. It will also provide new opportunities and revenue models to monetize cattle by-waste products. Other than this, it will open doors for using 100% natural fertilizers and converting excess methane into electricity that can be used to power farms in remote and rural areas.

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