Mr. Ronan Boyle:

We would always look at it as what one is trying to do is alter the microbiology of the manure. When manure leaves an animal and enters a tank, it is in an anaerobic state. From there, anaerobic activity typically is what causes emissions on farms. It is the reason why ammonia and methane are released. It is the microbiology that is happening down in the tank. When oxygenated air is injected through a network of pipes that are fixed to the floor of the tank, which is driven by a compressor, the oxygenated air being put in basically feeds the aerobic bacteria that are in what let us call a semi-dormant state. What you are trying to do is alter the levels and balance so that instead of the anaerobic being the dominant force in the tank doing the damage releasing methane and so on, the aerobic are awoken, they start to thrive and suppress the anaerobic. That is why you get ammonia locked in, that is, the nutrients are remaining in the slurry. It is why the methane is no longer volatilised off. It is all about the microbiology. With systems like this, it is not the case where, if I decided to put out slurry in a week’s time, I will turn on the system four days beforehand and it will be a nice liquid state.

The system is designed in order that as long there is manure in the tank that you want to utilise, you are treating the slurry. It is about getting the microbiology of the slurry correct. That is what our system achieves.