PROJECT DESCRIPTION
BACKGROUND
The pollution caused by manure is hard to control under its two major aspects: odours, and pollution of water and soil. In the early nineties, with its existing know-how in the area of odours, Elf Atochem developed a formulation to reduce foul odours from the storage and spreading of manure. Meanwhile, in line with its development strategy and its initiatives to promote the rational application of fertilisers, Grande Paroisse launched a programme of research into pig manure in order to develop a treatment process for the ecologically safe recycling of co-products. At the same time, consultant engineers Norais Ingénerie developed an innovative laboratory-scale filtration concept. All these areas of expertise were brought together, with Grande Paroisse in charge of the overall project, with the ultimate aim of developing a rational process for treating manure on the farm.
OBJECTIVES
The ECOLIZ process developed by this project aimed to bring an innovative solution and operational solution to the treatment of manure on the farm and the elimination of excess nitrogen and phosphorus spread in vulnerable areas. It would aim to demonstrate via two units (one fixed, the other mobile), the capacity of a technique consisting of a mechanical separation of manure into two deodorized phases: a liquid phase which can be used in environmentally sound fertiliser irrigation and a solid phase of concentrated fertilising elements that can be recycled into fertiliser.
RESULTS
In the end the project only dealt with the demonstration of the fixed station. The mobile station was developed commercially (bought by an agri-food company) since Grande Paroisse was satisfied that all the aspects of demonstration had been covered by the fixed station. A fixed station was demonstrated at the GIE, “La Pimosa”, a joint operation run by four stockbreeders, in order to treat all surplus manure collectively. The ECOLIZ tool is now available to stockbreeders, it is simple to use and relatively inexpensive. It is energy-efficient and requires little maintenance or labour. The first original feature entails the separation technology which uses an entirely novel concept of an automated twin piston press filter. The second original feature is the conditioning phase of the manure using specific agents which improve its filtrability. These technological innovations have been patented by both Grande Paroisse and Elf Atochem. The technology which has been developed is reliable, safe and perfectly suited to the world of agriculture and with little economic impact on the profitability of the stockbreeding operations. It is highly flexible, which makes it suitable to treat other types of effluents (other animal waste and industrial effluents). ECOLIZ received the “INNOV’SPACE 98” distinction when it was presented at the SPACE exhibition in Rennes. The Agence de l’Eau Loire Bretagne decided to add the ECOLIZ process to the list of treatment processes eligible for aid from the agency. Farmers who invest in the equipment will receive a grant. At the time of writing, the process was currently the only one to have been approved by the Agence de l’Eau in France for minimising surplus nitrogen and phosphorus spread in vulnerable areas. In the end the project only dealt with the demonstration of the fixed station. The mobile station was developed commercially (bought by an agri-food company) since Grande Paroisse was satisfied that all the aspects of demonstration had been covered by the fixed station. A fixed station was demonstrated at the GIE, “La Pimosa”, a joint operation run by four stockbreeders, in order to treat all surplus manure collectively. The ECOLIZ tool is now available to stockbreeders, it is simple to use and relatively inexpensive. It is energy-efficient and requires little maintenance or labour. The first original feature entails the separation technology which uses an entirely novel concept of an automated twin piston press filter. The second original feature is the conditioning phase of the manure using specific agents which improve its filtrability. These technological innovations have been patented by both Grande Paroisse and Elf Atochem. The technology which has been developed is reliable, safe and perfectly suited to the world of agriculture and with little economic impact on the profitability of the stockbreeding operations. It is highly flexible, which makes it suitable to treat other types of effluents (other animal waste and industrial effluents). ECOLIZ received the “INNOV’SPACE 98” distinction when it was presented at the SPACE exhibition in Rennes. The Agence de l’Eau Loire Bretagne decided to add the ECOLIZ process to the list of treatment processes eligible for aid from the agency. Farmers who invest in the equipment will receive a grant. At the time of writing, the process was currently the only one to have been approved by the Agence de l’Eau in France for minimising surplus nitrogen and phosphorus spread in vulnerable areas.
