A slurry methane initiative, piloted on nine dairy farms in west Co. Cork, led to a 72% reduction in emissions.

The pilot was orchestrated by Climate KIC, an independent climate innovation agency, and aimed to test and deploy manure methane reduction technology on the dairy farms in west Co. Cork during the 2025/2026 winter housing period.

A key partner was Carbery Co-op, to enable on-farm deployment and testing across its monitor farm network.

The pilot brought together farmers, the co-op, the technology provider and public bodies, aligning their roles and working on the wider barriers to scale, from verification to emissions accounting, alongside testing the technology in real-world conditions.

The project focused on biotechnology, selected following earlier trials and installed across the nine participating farms.

Alongside technology deployment, the pilot assessed the conditions needed for wider adoption, including integration into national emissions accounting systems, farm sustainability programmes, and developing carbon farming frameworks.

The change

According to Climate KIC, the pilot demonstrated “both immediate emissions reductions and a credible pathway to scale”.

Across the nine participating farms, an average methane abatement rate of 72% in monitored slurry stores, resulting in a total reduction of 218t CO₂e by the end of May 2026.

Climate KIC said: “This provides strong evidence that manure methane emissions can be reduced substantially under commercial farm conditions.”

Kerry Desmond, one of the dairy farmers participating in the pilot, added: “Anything that we can do here on the farm that puts us in the right direction, that cares for the land better and the environment that we live in, and also makes our lives easier, it’s a good step to be taken.”

According to Climate KIC, the pilot "demonstrated that farmers are willing to adopt new approaches when solutions are practical and aligned with the realities of farm management".

Beyond the direct emissions impact, the project also led to alterations being made to the biotechnology.

The revised model with a manual dosing approach lowers installation costs, improves operational practicality and creates opportunities for local employment, helping address key barriers to adoption identified during the pilot.

Momentum

The project has also built momentum for broader deployment.

Following the success of the initial rollout, the manual dosing system is being rolled out to an additional 18 farms in west Co. Cork during 2026, creating an important next step towards commercial scaling. 

At the system level, the initiative has "helped establish a collective industry dialogue around how methane-reduction technologies can be recognised and supported", Climate KIC said.

Through industry roundtables and engagement with organisations including the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Teagasc and Bord Bia, the pilot partners are working to improve pathways for technology verification, inclusion in farm decision-support tools such as AgNav, integration into sustainability assurance systems, and eventual reflection in national greenhouse gas inventories.

Climate KIC has stressed that the project has "challenged assumptions about farmers’ readiness to act on climate issues".

Project lead at Climate KIC, Stewart Gee observed: “Farmers are ready and willing to make the transition to a more sustainable future, but what they need is support and the conditions around them to drive that forward.”