Presentation given by Mr John Muldowney at the 2015 Clean Air Conference, 28/09/15, Dublin

1. JOHN MULDOWNEY
AGRICULTURAL INSPECTOR
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE, FOOD
AND THE MARINE
SEPTEMBER 2015
Food Wise 2025 and
Agricultural Emissions

2. Presentation overview
• Food Wise 2025
• Sustainability
• Ammonia Emissions
• Agricultural sources of ammonia
• Air quality policy context
• Ammonia abatement strategies
• Research

4. Food Wise 2025
 Strategic plan for the development of agri-food
sector over the next decade
• 85% increase in exports to €19bn
• 65% increase in primary production value to €10bn
• 70% increase in the sectors value addition to the economy to
over €13bn
• Creation of 23,000 additional jobs all along the supply chain
 With over 350 enabling actions, both cross-cutting
and at sectoral level
 59 related to sustainability under 8 main recommendations

5. Food Wise 2025 and Sustainability
 Environmental protection and economic
competitiveness are equal and complementary
 Continued development and adoption of sustainable
processes and technologies all along the supply chain
 SEA and AA parallel process

6. Intake of milk by Creameries and
Pasteurisers
0
100
200
300
400
500
600
700
800
900
1000
Jan Feb Mar Apr May June July Aug Sept Oct Nov Dec
Millionlitres
Month
2014
2015
Source: CSO StatBank

7. Agriculture NH3 emissions –
historic trend
90000
95000
100000
105000
110000
115000
120000
125000
NH3(kgs)
Year
Agriculture NH3 emissions
Agriculture NH3 emissions
IE GP & NEC emission ceiling = 116Kt NH3 (note
agriculture accounts for virtually all of IE NH3 emissions

8. Ammonia emissions

9. Atmospheric ammonia (NH3)
 Emissions in 2013 – 106.3kt NH3
 Ireland’s national emission ceiling for NH3 under the NEC
Directive is 116 Kt tonnes to be achieved by 2010 and in each
year after 2010.
 98.5% of national NH3 emissions attributed to
agricultural practices
 NH3 deposition associated with
 Acidification and eutrophication of surface waters
 negative impacts on sensitive ecosystems
 formation of secondary particulate matter

10. Agricultural sources of ammonia by
sector
Source: Hyde, 2012

12. Agricultural sources of NH3 by activity

14. Air Quality Policy Context
 GP reviewed in 2012 to include ‘national emission
reduction commitments’ to be achieved in 2020 and
beyond.
 Proposed NH3 target of 0.5% reduction on 2005 levels to 2020
 Equates to a value of 111Kt NH3
 Proposed revision of the NEC Directive
 Currently being reviewed as part of EU Clean Air Package
 Establishes national ‘reduction commitments’ applicable from
2020 and 2030
 For any year from 2020 to 2029 1% below 2005 levels
 For any year from 2030 10% below 2005 levels

15. Ammonia abatement strategies
1. Spreading
 Move to earlier spreading (summer to spring)
 Transition from summer spreading to spring spreading
 Cost effective
 Not suitable for all soils due to trafficability difficulties in spring
 Use of abatement technologies (Trailing shoe, trailing hose)
 Reduces surface area of slurry exposed to air
 ~40-60% reduction in ammonia emissions (summer application v.
traditional splash plate application)
 Reduces chemical N requirements
 Equipment expensive to purchase
 Biophysical constraints

16. Trailing shoe

17. Ammonia abatement strategies
2. Fertiliser usage
 ~350,000 t N applied annually (mostly CAN)
 Emissions greater from urea-based fertilisers v. Nitrate/
ammonium based
 NH3 emissions dependent on fertiliser type, weather
conditions and soil type
3. Use of inhibitors
 Urea with urease inhibitors
 Slows the NH3 NH4 transformation process resulting is
lower NH3 losses

18. Ammonia abatement strategies
4. Animal housing and associated storage
5. Outdoor slurry storage
6. Yard emissions
7. Animal dietary changes

19. Rural Development Programme
2014 - 2020
 Targeted Agricultural Modernisation Scheme II
(TAMS II) to include:
 Grant-aid support for the investment in mobile slurry tanks
and umbilical systems with attached low emission spreading
equipment such a trailing shoe, trailing hose.
 Low-emissions slurry spreading (LESS) option under
GLAS (agri environmental measure)
 To improve the recycling of organic fertiliser and to contribute
to reduced emissions including NH3.
 Knowledge Transfer Programme
 Topics include reducing GHG & NH3 emissions

20. Future abatement strategies
 Housing and storage
 Incorporation of air scrubbers in pig/ poultry units
 External storage
 Reinforced storage which would allow for the use of
acidification of slurry
 Chemical amendments to slurry and manure

21. Research

22. SHARP
 Sustainable Healthy Agri Research Plan
 Collective effort among stakeholders, research funders and
research bases to identify and develop research and innovation
for sustainable food production
 Sustainable Management of Natural Resources
 High level objective
 Develop and support actions that contribute to meeting air quality
targets under the NEC/ GP
 Priority research
 Integrated actions to reduce ammonia loss and improve N
efficiency

23. Current ammonia abatement research
 Measurement and abatement of ammonia emissions
from agriculture (2013)
 Feed evaluation for accurate nutrition (2012)
 Sustainable nitrogen fertiliser use and disaggregated
emissions of nitrogen (2011)

24. Conclusions
 Focus on cost effective options
 Focus on production efficiency & innovation
 Improve knowledge & understanding of emissions
 Integrate with other environmental challenges
 Develop and support the sector in delivering on
sustainability

25. Thank you