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ODOS Tech — Anaerobic Digestion (Preview)

Manure & Slurry

Anaerobic
Digestion

A sealed system that captures the methane produced by stored slurry and turns it into biogas, instead of letting it escape into the air.

See the cost breakdown →
Impact on FootprintHigh
Impact on productionNone (revenue upside)
Farm fitLarger herds, steady slurry
Upfront costSignificant capital investment

01 · Context

How It Works

Slurry stored under normal conditions produces methane as it breaks down, and that methane escapes into the air.

An anaerobic digester holds that same slurry in a sealed, oxygen-free tank. The same natural breakdown process happens, but instead of escaping, the methane is captured as biogas.

The captured biogas can be used to generate energy on the farm, or sold on. What's left afterwards, called digestate, is a nutrient-rich material that can still be applied to land as fertiliser.

Digestate keeps its nutrient value, so nothing is lost from the fertilising programme, only the emissions.

Slurry produced

Collected from housing and yards

Captured in the digester

Sealed tank blocks methane escape

Biogas & digestate

Energy out, nutrients back to the land

Slurry produced

Collected from housing and yards

Captured in the digester

Sealed tank blocks methane escape

Biogas & digestate

Energy out, nutrients back to the land

Reduction Scales With Slurry Volume Treated Illustrative range, based on IPCC aligned manure management factors More of your slurry volume treated, closer to the full effect Partial Treatment small share treated Majority Treatment proportional effect Full Treatment largest effect Not a farm-specific prediction. Modelled precisely for your setup in the ODOS Tech platform.

02 · Emissions

Impact On Emissions

Anaerobic digestion significantly reduces methane emissions from manure storage, since methane that would otherwise escape to the air is captured as biogas instead.

The scale of the reduction depends on how much of your slurry volume passes through the digester and how the system is configured. Farms treating their full slurry volume see the largest effect.

Your specific reduction, based on your slurry volumes and storage setup, is modelled precisely for your farm in the ODOS Tech platform.

03 · Production

Impact On Production

There is no negative effect on milk or herd production from installing anaerobic digestion. The digestate retains its nutrient value and can still be used as fertiliser, and the biogas produced can provide farm energy or a new income line.

This isn't a trade-off against production, it's an additional revenue opportunity alongside the emissions reduction.

Production Snapshot

Based on farm-level anaerobic digestion installations

Milk / herd production
No change
Digestate nutrient value
Retained
Energy / income line
New potential

Reported production loss

from installing anaerobic digestion

0%

04 · Costs

Cost & Economics

The most capital-intensive strategy in the toolbox.

Anaerobic digestion requires significant upfront investment in infrastructure, so it tends to suit larger herds with steady, high slurry volumes where the investment can be justified by consistent gas output.

Revenue from energy sales or savings on farm energy costs, along with the retained fertiliser value of the digestate, offset the investment over time.

See how it's modelled →
  • The most capital-intensive strategy in the toolbox, with the biggest revenue potential
  • Suits larger herds with steady, high slurry volumes where investment pays back fastest
  • Revenue from biogas energy sales or on-farm energy savings
  • Digestate retains its fertiliser value, offsetting the cost further

05 · Fit

Where This Works Best

Strong fit

  • Larger herds with consistent, high slurry volumes year-round
  • Farms able to justify the capital investment against steady gas output
  • Farms wanting an additional revenue stream alongside emissions reduction

Less suited

  • Smaller herds, where slurry volumes are too low to justify the investment
  • Highly seasonal systems, where slurry volumes fluctuate too much for consistent gas output

06 · Model

How We Model This

The manure management classification for treated slurry volumes is changed to the anaerobic digestion equivalent using IPCC emission factors, reflecting the much lower net methane released once digestion is in place.

IPCC aligned figuresWe use IPCC emission factors for the anaerobic digestion manure management classification, reflecting the much lower net methane released.
User defined treatment volumeYou set the share of your slurry volume treated through the digester, and the model recalculates emissions and cost accordingly.
Farm-specific modellingApplied against your actual slurry volumes and storage setup in the platform.

FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions

How much does anaerobic digestion reduce methane emissions? +

The reduction is significant, since methane that would otherwise be released from storage is captured as biogas instead. The exact figure depends on the volume of slurry treated and the system configuration.

Is anaerobic digestion worth it for a small dairy farm? +

It suits larger herds with steady slurry volumes best, since the capital cost is easier to justify against consistent gas output.

What happens to slurry after anaerobic digestion? +

It becomes digestate, a nutrient-rich material that can still be applied to land as fertiliser.

Does anaerobic digestion generate income? +

It can, through biogas energy sales or savings on farm energy costs, alongside the fertiliser value of the digestate.

How much does an anaerobic digester cost to install? +

Cost varies by scale and system, and represents a significant capital investment. It's modelled against your own slurry volumes in the ODOS Tech platform.

See This Modelled On Your Farm

We’ll show you the reduction range and cost comparison, based on your farm’s own data.