As part of the CANMILK Horizon Europe project, Durham University is conducting techno-economic assessments to evaluate the real-world potential of a novel methane abatement technology for dairy farms. These assessments will help answer a key question: Can this solution be both effective and affordable for farmers across Europe? In this article, the Durham University team share insights into their work within the CANMILK project.
The goal of our techno-economic assessments is to determine whether the proposed CANMILK system, can deliver meaningful environmental benefits at a cost that makes sense for farmers and policymakers. We’re looking at both the technical feasibility and the economic viability of deploying this innovation at scale. By combining science, engineering, farming knowledge and economic analysis, our techno-economic assessments ensure that CANMILK’s innovations are not just visionary, but practical and impactful.
Our team has been working on:
- Dairy Barn Modelling: Computational modelling of the barn environment to understand how technology can be incorporated into existing barns. This includes assessing the ventilation requirements for cattle to determine how much air needs to be processed by the CANMILK system.
- Process Modelling: This involves simulating the methane abatement system to provide information on how much methane can be captured, how much energy is used, and how the system performs under different conditions. This will deliver environmental benefits, such as reduced greenhouse gas emissions.
- Economic Evaluation: We will use the previous models to estimate the costs of installing and operating the system.
- Life Cycle Assessment (LCA): This method enables us to assess the full environmental impact of the technology and ensure its sustainability.
These assessments provide CANMILK with evidence-based insights into how the technology can be deployed in real-world settings. They help us to identify the most cost-effective design and operating conditions and determine the economic viability of the technology. In addition, they guide our current and future work, supporting decision making processes and building trust with stakeholders by demonstrating environmental benefits and economic costs.
The results inform several aspects of the broader project:
- Design optimisation: Identifying the most promising configurations for pilot-scale testing.
- Policy and incentive development: Demonstrating how carbon pricing, renewable energy integration, or on-farm crediting mechanisms could enhance economic feasibility.
- Knowledge transfer: Providing dairy producers, engineers, and policymakers with transparent, data-driven insights into the costs and benefits of methane mitigation technologies.
Barn Modelling in CANMILK
A key part of the work involves understanding how methane behaves inside dairy barns, and how our technology can most effectively capture it. This is where barn modelling comes in.
Using computational fluid dynamics (CFD), our team simulates airflow and methane concentrations in typical dairy barn environments. These models help us answer critical questions:
- How does methane accumulate and move within the barn?
- Where should air extraction systems be placed for maximum efficiency?
- How do ventilation rates affect methane levels and animal welfare?
By modelling different barn layouts, ventilation systems, and weather conditions, we can predict the amount of air that needs to be processed by the CANMILK system in order to effectively reduce methane emissions. This ensures that the technology is tailored to real-world farm conditions. Our modelling also considers cattle welfare and productivity, to ensure that any changes to airflow or barn design do not negatively impact the animals. This balance between methane capture and barn functionality is essential for successful implementation.
These parameters set the boundary conditions for the abatement system and the insights gained from barn modelling feed directly into our process simulations, economic evaluations, and life cycle assessments, helping us design a system that is not only effective but also practical and scalable.
Process Modelling: Evaluating Feasibility and Impact
To understand how the CANMILK methane abatement system performs in real dairy barn conditions, we have developed detailed process models that simulate each stage of methane capture and treatment process. These models form the technical foundation for our economic and environmental evaluations, helping us identify the most promising system configurations for large-scale deployment.
Our process modelling begins with a representative dairy barn model, used to define key boundary conditions, such as airflow and concentration levels. We then designed and scaled up several potential methane abatement configurations, integrating all the main units of the CANMILK system:
- Adsorber: Concentrates methane from barn air.
- Microwave Plasma Reactor: Generates high-energy plasma to oxidize methane directly or assist downstream catalytic processes.
- Catalytic Reactor: Converts methane using heat and catalysts under optimized temperature conditions.
Four configurations were evaluated using mass and energy balance equations to assess methane removal efficiency, energy consumption, and heat requirements:
- Plasma-only system: Barn air passes through the plasma reactor for direct methane oxidation.
- Catalytic-only system: Methane-rich air is treated exclusively using the catalytic reactor.
- Hybrid plasma–catalytic system: Airflow is split equally between plasma and catalytic reactors (50/50), balancing conversion and energy use.
- Plasma-assisted catalytic system: The plasma reactor preheats and ionizes oxygen, enhancing catalytic performance and reducing the required reactor temperature from 850 °C to 400 °C.
Economic Assessment: Evaluating Costs
Each configuration provides valuable insights into the trade-offs between methane removal efficiency, energy demand, and operational cost. The economic evaluation includes capital (CAPEX) and operational (OPEX) cost. CAPEX costs were estimated using process equipment models combined with installation and indirect cost factors (engineering, contingency, and owner’s cost). OPEX costs included electricity, maintenance, labour, insurance, and consumables.
Life Cycle Assessment: Ensuring True Sustainability
In addition to technical and economic evaluations, the CANMILK project incorporates Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) to understand the broader environmental impact of methane abatement technologies. LCA looks beyond the immediate performance of the system and considers its entire life span, from manufacturing to operation and eventual disposal.
Methane mitigation technologies aim to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, but their own production and energy use can also contribute to environmental impacts. LCA helps us answer critical questions:
- What is the carbon footprint of building and operating the system?
- How does the technology affect the overall GHG intensity of milk production?
- What are the trade-offs between methane reduction and other environmental factors?
What We Assess
Our LCA approach links methane abatement efficiency to the carbon intensity of milk, providing a clear picture of how the technology influences dairy sustainability. Key considerations include:
- Material and energy inputs for manufacturing reactors and adsorbers.
- Electricity consumption during operation, which is the main driver of emissions.
- End-of-life impacts, such as recycling or disposal of components.
Key Findings
Our assessments show that, while initial costs for methane abatement technologies, particularly plasma-based systems, are significant, there is clear potential for improved cost efficiency and scalability:
- Optimized System Design: The CANMILK plasma-assisted catalytic system reduces energy demand through more efficient reactor design.
- Economies of Scale: As technology matures and production scales up, equipment costs are expected to fall by 20–30%, which could reduce methane mitigation costs by up to 40%.
- Renewable Energy Integration: Using low-carbon electricity significantly improves cost-effectiveness and environmental performance.
- Policy Incentives: Carbon pricing and on-farm crediting mechanisms can make methane abatement financially attractive for farmers.
By combining engineering analysis with economic evaluation, the TEA bridges the gap between scientific innovation and practical implementation. The findings support the development of low-emission dairy systems that align with NET-ZERO commitments while maintaining productivity and competitiveness in the agri-food sector.
These findings demonstrate that while early-stage deployment involves high investment, innovation and scaling could unlock affordable solutions. The CANMILK project is paving the way for technologies that are not only technically effective but also economically sustainable.