Vegetable carbon from Edlibach makes cows flatulate less

The Zug-based company Verora AG has been awarded the Watt d'Or prize of the Swiss Federal Office of Energy (SFOE) for the development of a production plant that produces vegetable carbon (also known as biochar). This environmentally-friendly product is widely used in agriculture.

The farmers of Verora AG from the Zug mountain region have been working on the production of vegetable carbon and building up humus for many years on the farm of Albin and Franz Keiser in Neuheim. "We have now succeeded in producing and distributing vegetable carbon economically," says Fredy Abächerli, project manager and board member of Verora AG, based in Edlibach. At the beginning of January, the company was awarded the Watt d'Or prize of the Swiss Federal Office of Energy (SFOE) for the pyrolysis plant developed on the Keiser family’s farm, which enables the profitable production and use of vegetable carbon (see below).

Farm animals emit fewer gases
The vegetable carbon is added to the feed of cows and other farm animals in order to improve their digestion, so that they emit fewer climate-damaging gases. As an addition to bedding or manure, it also binds nutrients and reduces rot and ammonia emissions, and reduces nitrogen losses by up to 25% during composting. "As a result, it stinks less, and rotting takes place faster," says Fredy Abächerli. "Tree and shrub cuts from horticulture can be usefully processed  and be used as raw material. The dried wood chips that are made from them for heating have twice the energy value of normal wood chips, and the vegetable carbon after further processing helps protect the climate by permanently binding carbon, and also improves soil fertility in the field," says Abächerli, listing the further advantages of the product.

Adrian Würsch, Managing Director of Verora AG, presents the pyrolysis plant used to produce vegetable carbon at The Wies farm in Neuheim                                                  
The biochar is stored and sold in these white bags. Pictured: Project Manager and Board Member Fredy Abächerli (right) and Managing Director Adrian Würsch of Verora AG.
The finished vegetable carbon / biochar looks like this                      Photos: Matthias Jurt, Neuheim
The Watt d'Or energy price takes the form of a snow globe.                         
Only a few people attended the award ceremony. From left: Susanne Vincenz-Stauffacher (jury president), Marianne Zünd (BFE), Fredy Abächerli, Albin and Fabian Keiser, and Adrian Würsch (Verora AG).                                                                                                                                Photos: PD/BFE 2022
 

"It took a lot of perseverance to convert the initial research and development plant into a functioning production plant," recalls the agricultural engineer. "And it also took some time to obtain all the certifications, approvals and quality assurances." Verora AG was ahead of its time when it started the pilot project in 2012, and was little understood by the authorities and ridiculed by competitors. "We had to do a lot of convincing. But our reference farms now have national significance, and our pioneering work has been appreciated." The company was awarded the Agro Prize for the project in 2019.

From a financial point of view, the project also posed a considerable risk for the farmers of Verora AG. "We invested over a million Swiss francs." The Swiss Climate Foundation made a significant contribution of over CHF 200,000 to the research and development work, with the money being tied to clearly defined goals, which the company also achieved.

Well connected
Due to the pandemic, the award of the "Watt d'Or" had to take place on a small scale. "That's a pity of course. These kind of occasions always offer the opportunity to make contacts," regrets Fredy Abächerli. But he already has a solid national network. "Business is going very well at the moment. The interest from farmers and the agricultural schools is great." Abächerli gives lectures and, on request, repeatedly sends samples to various research institutes throughout Europe. "Society's demands on agriculture in terms of climate friendliness are high. We are only at the beginning. Enormous efforts are still needed."

The Watt d'Or has now been awarded for the 15th time
In order to honour the innovative Swiss companies and universities that are successfully implementing the future of energy, the Swiss Federal Office of Energy (SFE) has created the Watt d'Or, the seal of quality for energy excellence.
The prize, in the form of a snow globe, was awarded for the first time in 2007, and it's aim is to raise the awareness of extraordinary achievements in the energy sector, and to motivate business, politics and the general public to discover the advantages of innovative energy technologies for themselves. The Watt d'Or is not endowed, so no prize money will be distributed.
31 entries were submitted by mid-July 2021 and were evaluated by a team of expert, before 11 of them were nominated for the final round. From these entries, the jury selected the winning projects for the four Watt-d'Or categories. They went to the SBB (Energy Technologies category), Verora AG from Edlibach, Zug (Renewable Energies category) and Schaerraum AG from Horw, Lucerne (Building And Space category)., There was no winner in the Mobility category this year.