Guest blog: How is the future shaping up for agricultural vehicles?

The automotive sector has seen a decade-long focus on electric and zero-emission vehicles. The discussion has evolved from “if and how,” to “when and how.” With the “when” question having been answered, we are now into the “how.” There is still a little uncertainty on what is to be permitted between 2030 and 2035, but manufacturers are focused not only on zero emissions from 2035 - but on decarbonising the supply chain too. The transition to zero emissions is already underway, although significant challenges remain, particularly in building robust supply chains.

Looking in more detail at the agricultural sector, there is a wide range of technological profiles and use cases. The type of farm, and the location, will determine how the equipment is used. Today, diesel is the obvious choice for large farm vehicles, delivered to farms in tankers. Zero-emission fuel sources in the future will need to allow for the differing user requirements and may also be farm-specific. Many farms are remote with poor electricity grid connections, they may not currently have natural gas connections (an alternative fuel option) and new infrastructure may be prohibitively costly to install.

These challenges, coupled with long remote shifts in the fields, mean electrification and batteries are impractical in this application. Especially as the locations are generally rural areas where energy infrastructure may not be as robust. An alternative ICE (Internal Combustion Engine) fuel is, therefore, a practical solution.

Back in July 2017, as part of APC’s 6th Collaborative Research and Development funding round, the world’s first 100% methane-powered tractor project received £9.1 million in government funding through the APC. I joined the CNH LoCT Project Team as the APC Project Delivery Lead and was introduced to an imaginative and demanding technology that has impressed and excited me ever since. In those early days, the technical challenges were all-consuming for the Project Team. However, the collaborative approach of the specialist partners persevered. By 2019 the Project Team had already produced and unveiled a fully working prototype, led by the global company CNH together with its agricultural brand, New Holland, and its then powertrain brand, FPT Industrial - a specialist in natural gas engines.

In a highly innovative approach, the New Holland T6 Methane Power Tractor uses farm animal waste, converted into fuel, helping to reduce emissions, and create more sustainable ways of farming.

CNH were then introduced to Cornish start-up Bennamann Energy Ltd. They were developing a process to collect the methane gas produced by slurry from a dairy farm and then ‘cleaning up’ the methane to be useable as a fuel.

By using methane instead of diesel, the tractor operates with a significant reduction of emissions by eliminating the need for fossil fuels. The next step was significant; by capturing the methane produced from slurry lagoons the reduction in CO₂ emissions is dramatic and the methane that would have entered the atmosphere is captured. This innovative process captures it, puts it to use as fuel, and reduces farming CO₂ emissions. This type of reduction could reduce greenhouse gas emissions from farming by 88% and create energy independence for farming.

This process can also be used to help the rural energy supply as the excess gas produced is being supplied to neighboring farms, local Councils for municipal vehicles etc., providing a wide and circular economy.

New Holland’s T6 Methane Power running on standard CNG, including that produced using ‘methane capture’ has been on sale since 2021 and has been sold in Europe and in North and South America. The tractor has won several prestigious innovation awards.

There are some exciting and impressive technological advances within this sector, but acknowledging the scale of the challenge, a shift in mindset is necessary. The transition to net-zero cannot be achieved in isolation; cooperation within the supply chain is crucial. International collaboration on life cycle analysis (LCA) and reporting standards is required to ensure a coordinated effort in the right direction and avoid ‘carbon leakage.’ This means the entire supply chain matters; the auto sector already has one of the most internationally interconnected supply chains and this transition means much of it needs to be ‘re-purposed.’

The agriculture industry is significantly more complex in vehicle types, user cases, user environments, and power and energy requirements than the passenger car sector. It can draw on the experience of decarbonising light passenger vehicles, but new research and development is needed into the specific applications for agriculture zero emission technologies.

Gareth Deakin is Senior Project Delivery Lead at the Advanced Propulsion Centre UK (APC)