• ABB awarded contract to provide automation hardware and software for a major methane-reducing cattle feed additive production facility
• Site will manufacture a fast-acting additive – licensed in more than 65 countries – that will help reduce the amount of methane cattle emit
• Project supports global efforts to reduce the amount of methane released into the atmosphere

ABB has been selected to supply automation and electrical systems by animal nutrition and health specialist dsm-firmenich, as part of a project to develop a cattle feed additive production facility at Dalry, 40 kilometers west of Glasgow in Scotland, to support methane reduction goals in the livestock sector. ABB’s solutions will improve engineering efficiency, operator effectiveness and asset utilization.

The site will increase global production of Bovaer®, dsm-firmenich’s innovative methane-reducing feed additive for cows and cattle that has been researched and developed for more than 15 years. The company claims a quarter teaspoon of Bovaer® per cow, per day can reduce enteric methane emissions by an average of 30 percent for dairy cows and by an average of 45 percent for feedlot beef cattle[1]  – contributing to a significant reduction of the environmental footprint of dairy and beef products.

Almost 600 million tonnes of methane are emitted in the atmosphere every year – with the livestock sector contributing 32 percent of all methane emissions[2]. Reducing these is crucial for efforts to keep global warming below the 1.5°C target outlined in the Paris Agreement.
“Bovaer® has been used already for over two years by farmers in several markets, with a total methane reduction adding up to 300,000 tons of CO2e. This facility will become the first large-scale production plant for Bovaer® and with it we look forward to widening our collaboration with the entire dairy and beef value chain to reduce emissions and make a positive contribution in the fight against climate change,” said Mark van Nieuwland, Senior Vice President Bovaer® at dsm-firmenich. “Utilizing ABB’s automation expertise exemplifies how we can accelerate the expansion and adoption of Bovaer® to significantly decrease methane emissions on a large scale and thereby support global efforts to combat climate change.”

The project extends an existing partnership between the two companies and ABB will supply all automation hardware and software including the ABB Ability™ System 800xA® distributed control system. The scope of work also includes IT and OT networks, cyber security, process CCTV systems, and electric motor control centers and variable speed drives. ABB’s site work is due to complete by November 2025, after which time the facility will become fully operational.

“With 60 percent of global methane emissions coming from human activities, reductions are essential to reach the world's climate change targets,” said Per Erik Holsten, President of ABB Energy Industries. “So we are proud to be working on a project that will significantly reduce anthropogenic methane emissions.”

Methane is the second-largest contributor to global warming after carbon dioxide[3] and while it traps more heat, it has a shorter lifespan of up to 12 years in the atmosphere. This makes tackling methane a powerful lever. Over 150 countries have now signed the Global Methane Pledge[4], agreeing to reduce global methane emissions by at least 30 percent by 2030.

Bovaer® is commercially available in more than 65 countries worldwide, including across Europe, the UK, USA, Australia, Brazil, Chile, Japan and South Korea, and has been tested in more than 130 farm trials in over 20 countries, resulting in more than 80 peer-reviewed scientific publications.
 


[1] https://www.dsm.com/anh/products-and-services/products/methane-inhibitors/bovaer.html


[2] https://www.fao.org/in-action/enteric-methane/en


[3] https://climate.nasa.gov/vital-signs/methane/?intent=121


[4] https://www.globalmethanepledge.org/