FOTOPUR Operational Group: Fotopur system for photovoltaic utilization and emission reduction from the surface of slurry ponds on pig farms

Type Operational group
Status In progress
Execution 2024 -2027
Assigned Budget 544.746,00 €
Scope Supraautonómico
Autonomous community Aragón; Castilla y León
Main source of financing PEPAC 2023-2027
Project website GO FOTOPUR

Abstract

FOTOPUR seeks to develop an innovative and cost-effective solution to cover slurry ponds that will reduce the emission of gases harmful to the environment, air quality and health (such as ammonia and methane), taking advantage of this surface to produce electricity from renewable sources.

Description

The project will determine the technical and economic feasibility of combining photovoltaic energy production with covering slurry ponds to reduce emissions. This will help all Spanish pig farms and management centers comply with national and European emissions regulations.

Description of activities

Evaluation and comparison of floating photovoltaic systems for their potential application in slurry ponds: identification of the requirements that these systems must meet.
Proposal for optimal solutions for covering slurry ponds and utilizing photovoltaics: selecting the most suitable floating photovoltaic system and designing the required modifications or, where appropriate, the basis for a new design.
Measurement of emissions from uncovered and covered slurry ponds by the proposed solution: measurement plan and method.
Analysis of the satisfaction of the electrical demand of pig farms with photovoltaic production in their slurry ponds: sizing of the photovoltaic installations of the prototypes and comparison of farm demand and photovoltaic production of the prototypes.
Feasibility assessment of floating photovoltaic generation on slurry ponds: degradation analysis of prototype materials.
Assessment of the social, economic, and environmental impacts of the project and the proposed solutions: development of questionnaires, conducting interviews, and evaluating results.
Market study, possible business plan and, if applicable, possible patent for a floating system for photovoltaic application on slurry ponds.

Contextual description

FOTOPUR seeks to mitigate the environmental impact of pig farming in areas with intense activity, such as Aragon (Spain). In Spain, the pig sector generates more than 90 million cubic meters of slurry annually. During storage, slurry releases large amounts of NH3, which pose a serious problem for the environment, climate change, air quality, and health.

In an attempt to curb the rise in emissions, Directive (EC) 2016/2284 of the European Parliament and of the Council sets a ceiling on permitted national emissions of certain air pollutants, such as ammonia. Subsequently, Regulation (EU) 2018/842 of the European Parliament and of the Council updated the climate targets for Spain. However, Spain has failed to meet the NH3 pollution limit, having increased its emissions by more than 10% compared to 1990. Focusing on the intensive livestock sector, Commission Implementing Decision (EU) 2017/302 includes a list of Best Available Techniques (BAT) applicable to pig farms. The adaptation of Spanish legislation to this European regulation establishes a deadline for reducing ammonia emissions into the atmosphere from slurry storage. The directive establishes a series of BATs regarding the covering of ponds with rigid, flexible or floating covers.

Furthermore, Royal Decree 306/2020 establishes an emission reduction of up to 80% in newly constructed slurry ponds, compared to uncovered ponds. FOTOPUR is the national continuation of the Aragonese project "Alternatives in the Utilization and Control of the Potential of Slurry Ponds," a collaborative effort between stakeholders in the agricultural sector and part of the 2014-2020 Aragonese Rural Development Program.

The project developed a demonstration prototype of floating photovoltaics on the slurry pond of a mother farm located in the municipality of Tauste. The results revealed the difficulties posed by both the chosen floating system and the proposed overall coverage solution (installation, maintenance, decommissioning, etc.).

Objectives

FOTOPUR seeks to develop an innovative solution for covering slurry ponds that reduces the emission of harmful gases, such as ammonia, by utilizing that surface area to produce electricity from renewable sources. This helps all Spanish pig farms and management centers comply with national and European emissions regulations. Furthermore, this solution utilizes a surface area typically not used to generate photovoltaic energy, avoiding the need to allocate other land areas for it.

Other objectives:

To determine the feasibility of combining photovoltaics with manure pond covering to reduce emissions, and the optimal system for this. To propose optimal solutions for manure pond covering and photovoltaic utilization. To this end, the applicability of existing floating photovoltaic systems on the market will be studied, along with any necessary design modifications. To determine the impact on pollutant emissions from manure ponds due to covering them with the appropriate photovoltaic system, measuring emissions from covered and uncovered manure ponds. To determine the relationship between the energy demand of pig farms and the potential production of photovoltaic energy in their manure ponds. To determine and demonstrate the applicability of the proposed solutions for the Spanish pig sector. To evaluate the social, economic, and environmental impacts of the project and the proposed solutions. - Explore the potential commercialization of a specific photovoltaic system for covering slurry ponds. FOTOPUR seeks to develop an innovative solution for covering slurry ponds that reduces the emission of harmful gases, such as ammonia, by utilizing that surface area to produce electricity from renewable sources.

This makes it easier for all Spanish pig farms and management centers to comply with national and European emissions regulations. Furthermore, this solution utilizes a surface area typically not useful for generating photovoltaic energy, avoiding the need to allocate other land areas for this purpose.

This makes it easier for all Spanish pig farms and management centers to comply with national and European emissions regulations. Furthermore, this solution utilizes a surface area typically not useful for generating photovoltaic energy, avoiding the need to allocate other land areas for this purpose.

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