Ambient Carbon to test methane-eradicating system through dairy farm partnership

Denmark-based Ambient Carbon is partnering with Benton Group Dairies to test its new methane-eradicating system for cow barns, which it says is a “first-of-a-kind” non-invasive technology to remove methane from dairy barn exhaust. 

The company will install its Methane Eradication Photochemical System (MEPS) at Benton’s dairy farm in Ambia, Indiana in the US this month in preparation for installing and testing a MEPS field prototype in early 2025.

Ambient Carbon says its methane removal system is a “point-source” methane removal system and is the only scalable, cost-effective solution for eradicating low-concentration (non-flammable) methane from cattle and manure, as well as other point sources.

“We have found that chlorine is the Achilles heel of methane,” explains Matthew Johnson, co-founder and CSO of Ambient Carbon. 

“MEPS only requires salt water (sodium chloride) and UV light to break down methane. It operates at ambient temperatures, so it is safe, and it’s automated, efficient, and highly cost-effective.”

Johnson led the research that devised the MEPS in December last year. The system has a 58% methane removal efficiency and 30 liters per minute flow capacity. 

The MEPS system is useful in cases where methane emissions cannot be stopped by plugging a leak, such as cow burps.The technique is useful since a lot of methane emissions cannot be stopped by plugging a leak, such as cow burps and biomass storage and wastewater treatment and garbage dumps. They are diffuse, low-concentration sources, he told Food Ingredients First at the time.

Replicating natural methane breakdown

The MEPS system uses a patented gas-phase photochemical process that combines chlorine atoms and UV light in a reaction chamber, mimicking a natural process of methane destruction in the atmosphere, states the company.

“As dairy barn air is cycled through MEPS, it breaks down methane at its source, preventing its release into the ambient air.”

Additionally, the chlorine atoms are generated onsite via electrolysis of saltwater, and after eradicating 80-90% of the methane, the chlorine is recycled in a closed system.

Overcoming cost challenges

Methane mitigation technologies such as regenerative thermal oxidation operate with expensive catalysts at high temperatures and are not cost effective for the relatively low concentrations of methane in a dairy barn, explains Johnson.

“MEPS has world record efficiency for the low concentrations found in agriculture and waste management. Field-testing MEPS in Indiana will showcase its advantages and give us data showing just how efficient and cost-effective MEPS will be for dairy farms.”

The MEPS uses a patented gas-phase photochemical process that combines chlorine atoms and UV light in a reaction chamber (Image credit: University of Copenhagen).Additionally, MEPS is located outside the barn and does not disturb dairy operations.

Refining the system

While the Indiana tests are underway, Ambient Carbon also plans to test another MEPS field prototype in Denmark as part of the AgriFoodTure PERMA Project. The initiative includes the Northern European dairy cooperative Arla, which is publicly funded by Innovation Fund Denmark and the EU’s NextGenerationEU. 

Ambient Carbon will use the data from the Indiana and Denmark tests to refine the MEPS system for a full-scale MEPS pilot in late 2025, underscores the company.

“Ambient Carbon anticipates MEPS will reach commercialization and be available for installation in Q2 of 2026, and will scale globally through distribution and manufacturing partnerships.”

Eyeing a “ramp up”

The company plans to ramp-up its solutions and envisions making a significant contribution to lowering greenhouse gas emissions in the next five years.

“We believe that by 2030, Ambient Carbon will be eliminating well over one gigaton of CO2 equivalent annually by destroying methane from dairy barns and other low-concentration methane sources such as wastewater treatment plants and biogas plants,” says David S. Miller, co-founder and COO of Ambient Carbon.

Other methods the F&B industry is tapping to tackle methane emissions include feed additives and supplements for cows’ digestive health.