In the UK, livestock slurry is more than just waste—it’s a valuable resource that can be used to generate renewable energy, improve soil health, and reduce farm costs. However, raw slurry is often inefficient when used in anaerobic digestion (AD) or as a fertilizer due to its high-solid content and inconsistent nutrient distribution.
In the last 30 years, slurry separation technology development has led to separators playing a crucial role in turning waste into a useful resource that can help farmers achieve greater sustainability and increase profitability of their businesses.
Utilising separators can divide slurry into solid and liquid fractions. Doing this allows farmers and biogas operators to maximise yields, improve digestate quality and enhance farm productivity. Through the process of slurry separation, slurry and farm waste gets dived into the following:
Solid fraction – Rich in organic material and ideal for biogas production
Liquid fraction – High in nitrogen and best used as a biofertilizer
So, let’s look at the benefits of slurry separation. In terms of increasing and maximising your biogas yields, slurry separation can:
Increase higher organic content in the solid fraction leading to better methane yields
Lead to more stable feedstock, improving the efficiency of AD systems
Lower risk of digester overload, preventing system failures
Reduced water volume, making digestion more efficient
This allows for you to really take advantage of anaerobic digestion through high-quality organic feedstock to produce biogas more efficiently and increase yields.
Its not just biogas plants that benefit from having a slurry separation system fitted. Dairy farms can benefit from having separators in a number of ways. By stripping out the liquids within slurry, farms can produce more nutrient rich fertilizer for less. The products produced from separating slurry can help farmers to better manage the application and benefits for their business. From a farmers perspective slurry separation can:
Increases more precise nutrient application, reducing fertilizer costs
Liquid fraction absorbs faster into soil, preventing runoff
The solid fraction can be stored and transported more easily
Produce less odour and environmental impact, improving compliance with regulations.
Increase higher crop yields and improving soil health.
There is also the added benefit of cutting down the cost of storage and transports costs which is extremely important in an area where costs are rapidly increasing such as the increase in cost of fuel for tankers, limited space for storage and more. By utilising the separation process you can reduce slurry volume by up 25%-30% increasing your storage capacity while making transport more efficient (reducing haulage costs) and reducing excess water handling leading to lower fuel and spreading costs.
Outside of your business there is also the consideration of making sure you meet UK environmental regulations and contribute to eco friendly sustainability goals which may lead you to consider implementing a slurry separation system into the running of your business.
With stricter UK laws on ammonia emissions, water pollution, and carbon reduction, slurry separation is becoming a key solution for farms looking to stay compliant while maintaining efficiency. Regulations require farmers and land owners to:
Conform to DEFRA Clean Air Strategy – This requires lowering ammonia emissions from slurry application
Nitrate Vulnerable Zones (NVZs) – Limit your nitrogen runoff into water bodies
Carbon Reduction Targets – Encourages better use of organic waste for energy
By adopting slurry separation, farms can reduce emissions, improve soil health, and align with sustainability incentives, all while maintaining profitable operations.
So how do you achieve this and reap the rewards of utilising slurry separation in your operations?
At Spreadwise, we can help! We provide industry-leading slurry separation solution and spreading equipment to help UK farms and biogas plants
Increase biogas production with higher-quality slurry feedstock
Improve fertilizer efficiency with precision slurry spreading
Reduce costs with better slurry storage and transport solutions
Meet UK environmental regulations for low-emission slurry handling
With over 30 years of expertise in slurry management, Spreadwise helps farms turn waste into valuable energy and resources. Interested in optimising your farm’s slurry management? Contact Spreadwise today for expert advice on the best slurry separation and spreading solutions for your operation.
Commentaires