Bauer elevator takes slurry management to new heights

A mobile elevator which opens up different discharge options for slurry will be on display at LAMMA.

Developed by Bauer, the Plug & Play Elevator can lift a slurry separator 4.3m into the air.

The new device will be exhibited for the first time at the NEC Birmingham on 15-16 January.

Bauer’s mobile separator can be loaded on to a flat-bed trailer using pallet forks.

It comprises a galvanised steel frame housing a pump, pipework and enclosed control panel – with a choice of screw press separators on top.

Larger farms

The elevator version can also be trailer mounted. A parallel lift structure incorporates the slurry intake and separated dirty water pipes. The separator can be positioned to discharge solids into a trailer or spreader – or large loader bucket.

“Like our mobile unit, the Plug & Play Elevator is a solution for large farms with more than one dairy unit and slurry storage and handling facilities, only with greater flexibility in terms of how the solids are managed,” says sales manager Adrian Tindall.

“For contractors, both mobile units provide an opportunity for providing an on-farm service that brings more controlled nutrient management without the capital investment needed for a fixed installation.”

The Bauer S655 and S855 screw-and-screen separators are suitable for the new Elevator package. The S655 can shift 30m³ per hour and organic material up to 32% dry matter using a standard-length screw with single screen.

The same dry matter performance is achieved with the S855 separator but at throughputs of up to 40m? per hour thanks to an extended screw and double screen; both are powered by a 5.5kW electric motor.

Mobile separation packages require minimal permanent infrastructure – useful where planning restrictions hamper a fixed installation. Bauer’s FAN separators in mobile form are also suitable for multi-site anaerobic digester plants.

Organic approval for slurry inoculant

A new slurry inoculant designed to improve soil health and grass quality has been approved for organic dairy systems.

Called SlurryForSoil, the inoculant contains bacteria and fungi which scavenge nutrients and enhance their bioavailability to plants, says manufacturer Sylgen Animal Health.

“It is extremely beneficial for farmers who want to boost grass yield without using synthetic fertiliser,” says company director Geoff Hooper. SlurryForSoil offers a potential 5:1 to 16:1 return on investment, he adds.

Any product sold as organic in the UK must comply with a set of production and processing standards. The Soil Association use EU organic regulations as a baseline, but in many cases, says Mr Hooper, its standards are more robust.

SlurryForSoil contains naturally occurring plant growth promotion rhizobacteria and fungi and is formulated to encourage and optimise natural processes and functioning of diverse biological webs.

It breaks down organic matter, capturing and retaining nutrients as it does so. This homogenises the slurry, making it easier to handle and apply evenly with fewer blockages, says Mr Hooper.

Biomethane ‘could cut cost of net zero’

Turning muck and slurry into biomethane could help the UK reach net zero – and save money too, says a study.

The cost of meeting Britain’s net zero targets in 2050 could be nearly £300 billion less than official projections, suggests new analysis drawing on a computer model used by Whitehall civil servants.

Savings over the period to 2050 – equivalent to £415 for every household every year – would come about from a greater use of home-grown renewable green gas in the energy mix, says the Anaerobic Digestion and Bioresources Association (ADBA).

Biomethane is made from rotting organic matter – including farmyard manure and slurry.

“Biomethane is the big green battery that can keep us warm and well-lit in dark winters more cheaply than other pathways to net zero” said ADBA chairman Chris Huhne. “This study is a wake-up call to look at more cost-effective options for net zero.”