British biomethane specialist Bennamann has developed what it calls the world’s first tractor running entirely on liquefied methane sourced from cow manure. Built on a New Holland T7 platform, the 270-horsepower machine is designed to match the performance of standard diesel tractors while significantly cutting emissions and fuel costs for farmers.
The fuel is produced on-site: waste from a herd of as few as 100 cows is converted into biomethane and stored in liquid form at -162°C in a cryogenic tank fitted to the tractor. In a pilot run on a farm in Cornwall, the system cut the farm’s carbon dioxide emissions from 2,500 to 500 metric tonnes within a year. "This is genuinely a world first, and another step toward decarbonising global agriculture and building a circular economy," said Bennamann co-founder Chris Mann.
The Cornwall and Isles of Scilly Local Enterprise Partnership is now co-funding research into the region’s wider biomethane potential, looking at sources such as dairy farms and wastewater treatment plants, with an eye on future use in transport as well as agriculture. Bennamann says the technology could eventually be adapted to charge electric vehicles in rural areas.