Background

The existing pig house at Randers in Midtjylland, Denmark, was destroyed by a storm in 2005, requiring a new facility to be built. Being in an environmentally sensitive area, permission for extension was not be attainable without investments in environmental technology. In addition, this project also included investments in slurry basins designed by the project holder, as well as air purification equipment which goes over and above the minimum standards.

Objective

The objective of the project, completed in 2010, was to achieve environmentally neutral and sustainable pig production at a farm located in an environmentally sensitive area, through investment, innovation and development of technologies for slurry basins, slurry acidification, air cooling, air circulation and air purification. A particular focus during the planning of the new stable was given to animal welfare and environmental standards.

Main Activities

In this project, the building construction, inventory and feeding system were all based on new or well-established technologies. The project primarily consisted of four central, key components, namely a system to collect slurry from individual pig pens, an air purification system that substantially improved air quality, a cooling system powered by energy from a straw stove and a slurry acidification installation that removed the slurry from the individual pens.

Results and Benefits

The slurry basin system was an innovative design produced by the project holder and had, therefore, never been tested before. This was also the case with the other elements of the investment. The success of the project was acknowledged as it won the Danish Agriculture and Food Council's Environmental Technology Prize in 2007.

Lessons Learnt

This project has provided grounds for the possibility to multiply the production of pigs without further impacting the environment, through innovative solutions.

It was also noted that the project holder's background as a chemical engineer has been important for the development of the environment-neutral piggery. The project has demonstrated how far one can get when practical experience from agriculture is combined with engineering skills.

November 2011