Daera Awards Third Company Million to Advance Sustainable Utilisation of Livestock Slurry

Natural World Products Nwp) Has Been Awarded Million to Help Northern Ireland's Agriculture Sector Reduce Excess Phosphorus from Livestock Slurry, As Part of the Further Roll out of Lough Neagh Action Plan.

The Award Has Been Presented As Part of the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs' Daera) Small Business Research Initiative Sbri) Phase 2 Project for the Sustainable Utilisation of Livestock Slurry Suls).

The Suls Project Aims to Undertake Research and Development into the Advancement of Demonstrator Sites to Process Livestock Manure/slurry to Remove Excess Phosphorus from the Environment. The Contract Represents a Further Milestone in Daera's Long‑term Strategy to Support Farmers in Managing Slurry, Improving Water Quality, and Reducing Emissions Across the Agri‑food Sector.

Natural World Products' Successful Project Focuses on the Development of Northern Ireland's First High‑solids Anaerobic Digestion Hsad) Facility, Located at Glenside, Dunmurry. This Innovative Plant Will Trial the Integration of Cattle and Pig Slurry Solids, Alongside Organic Materials Such As Municipal Food and Garden Waste, to Produce Biomethane and Peat Free Compost. All Suls Phase 2 Projects Are Due to Be Completed by October 2028.

Welcoming the Announcement, Minister Muir Said: By Investing in Research to Support Sustainable Slurry Solutions We Are Taking Steps to Contribute to Improve Water Quality at Lough Neagh and Elsewhere Whilst Also Supporting Farm Businesses.

I Am Delighted to See the Third and Final Suls Phase 2 Contract Awarded to Nwp for Their High Solids Anaerobic Digestion Hsad) Project. Daera Funding Will Support Deployment of Additional Mobile Slurry Separation Units That Will Visit Local Farms to Remove Phosphorus-rich Digestate Solids for Transport to the Hsad Plant, Leaving Farmers with Nitrogen-rich Liquid Which Is More Easily Spread Using Low Emissions Slurry Spreading Equipment.”

Daera Funding Will Also Be Used for Equipment to Process Liquid Digestate on Site at the Hsad Plant. Remaining Solids Will Be Blended into Nwp's Pas100 Compost. This Will Help Reduce Phosphorus Application on Northern Ireland Land and Ease Excess Nutrient Challenges for Farmers.

Sbri Provides the Public Sector with Innovative Solutions to Problems That Will Drive Improvement and Allows Suppliers to Develop Products and Services Working Collaboratively with the Public Sector, Enabling Them to Develop New Skills, Expertise and Markets.

Peter Summerton, Managing Director at Nwp Added: Addressing Nutrient Overload and Seeking to Improve the Health of Our Soils and Waterways Is a Key Structural Challenge Facing Our Region. Equally, Transitioning Away from Peat-based Growing Media Products in Horticulture Is a Must If We Are to Protect Our Peatlands As Vital Carbon Sinks and Areas of Natural Biodiversity. We Look Forward to Engaging in This Important Though Challenging Research Initiative with Colleagues at Daera As We Collectively Strive to Find More Effective Ways of Reducing Phosphorous Levels in Our Soils and Waterways.”

Notes to Editors:

1. Nwp Are the Third and Final Supplier to Have Been Awarded a Suls Phase 2 Contract Following Contracts Being Awarded to Bh Estates and the Centre for Competitiveness in October 2024.
   Daera Awards M to First Successful Sustainable Utilisation of Livestock Slurry Sbri Phase 2 Company
   Daera Awards M to mid Ulster Based Successful Sustainable Utilisation of Livestock Slurry Sbri Phase 2 Company
2. For Further Information About the Small Business Research Initiative Visit: Https://matrixni.Org/sbri/
3. Suls Phase 2 Will Also Provide Funding for Equipment to Separate Post-ad Digestate to Further Extract Excess P for Export, and to Produce Other Marketable Products from Digestate Such As Organo Mineral Fertiliser, Peat Free Compost and Low Carbon Cement, to Increase the Economic Sustainability of Nutrient Processing.
4. A Key Target of the Sbri Suls Project, Under Which Nwp's Hsad Project Sits, Is to Make a Significant Reduction in on Farm Nutrient Balances by Reducing the Excess P from Slurry by at Least 1,000 Tonnes per Year by October 2028, with Each Funded Project Contributing to This Total. The Project Will Also See Further Research and Development, As Well As Economic and Environmental Modelling Carried out. The 2020 Rephokus Report Indicated That Northern Ireland Has an Annual Surplus of 6,000 Tonnes of P in the Phosphorous Cycle.
5. The Project Directly Follows on from the Sbri Phase 1 Pilot Stage from 2023 When £600,000 Was Awarded to Six Ni Companies to Develop Proof of Concept Solutions to Address Excess Phosphorus P), from Cattle and Pig Slurry Within Ni Agriculture.
6. One Focus of This Four-year Project Will Be on Funding Nutrient Separation Equipment That Will Separate Slurry on Farms to Produce a Compost like Material That Is High in P, to Be Used As a Feedstock for Anaerobic Digestion Ad) to Produce Renewable Biogas.