biowave · Project

Microwave System Turns Pig Slurry Into Profitable Biogas On-Farm

energyPilotedTRL 7

Pig farms produce mountains of slurry that's expensive to get rid of and increasingly regulated. Normally, turning pig slurry into biogas requires mixing in huge amounts of extra organic material — an 8-to-1 ratio — which makes it a money pit. The biowave team built a microwave system that "cooks" the slurry before digestion, breaking down the tough carbon so bacteria can actually eat it, boosting biogas output by 20% without needing all that extra feed. Think of it like a microwave softening frozen leftovers so they're ready to eat — except here the "leftovers" are pig waste and the "meal" is renewable energy.

By the numbers

20%

Increase in biogas yield from pig slurry

4 years

Payback period for the biowave system

8:1

Organic carbon ratio eliminated by pre-treatment

37,000

Pigs produced per year at demonstration farm

1,500

Sows at Ashleigh Farms demonstration site

EUR 1,364,244

EU contribution to development and demonstration

SME partners across 4 countries

The business problem

What needed solving

Pig farms across Europe face a growing waste crisis: slurry volumes keep increasing while regulations on pollution and land spreading keep tightening. Anaerobic digestion could turn that waste into valuable biogas, but pig slurry requires adding expensive organic material at an 8:1 ratio, making it economically unviable. Farmers need a way to process slurry profitably without costly additives.

The solution

What was built

The project built and demonstrated a complete on-site microwave pre-treatment system for pig slurry, including a microwave reactor with control software, an anaerobic digestion validation unit with control software, and an optimised integrated system. All components were demonstrated at a working pig farm.

Audience

Who needs this

Large-scale pig farms (1,000+ sows) facing slurry disposal costs and environmental compliance pressureBiogas plant operators looking to accept pig manure as feedstock without expensive co-substratesAgricultural waste management companies serving the livestock sectorFarm equipment manufacturers seeking microwave pre-treatment technology to licenseRenewable energy developers targeting agricultural biogas projects

Business applications

Who can put this to work

Pig farming and livestock operations

SME

Target: Large-scale pig farms with 1,000+ sows dealing with slurry disposal costs and environmental compliance

If you are a pig farm struggling with rising slurry disposal costs and tightening pollution regulations — this project built and demonstrated an on-site microwave pre-treatment system that increases biogas yield from pig slurry by 20%. It eliminates the need to buy expensive organic co-substrates for anaerobic digestion, with a projected payback period of 4 years.

Biogas plant operators

any

Target: Anaerobic digestion companies looking to process difficult feedstocks like pig manure

If you are a biogas operator avoiding pig slurry because it requires an 8:1 ratio of added organic carbon to be economically viable — this project developed a microwave reactor with control software that converts hard carbon into soluble carbon, making pig slurry a viable standalone feedstock. The system was built, optimised, and validated on-site at a working pig farm.

Agricultural waste management

mid-size

Target: Environmental services companies handling livestock waste treatment and nutrient management

If you are a waste management company looking for better livestock waste processing technology — this project delivered a complete on-site pig slurry treatment system including microwave reactor, anaerobic digestion unit, and integrated control software. The system was demonstrated across a consortium of 5 SME partners in 4 European countries.

Frequently asked

Quick answers

What does the system cost and what's the return on investment?

The project states a payback period of 4 years for the biowave system. The EU contributed EUR 1,364,244 to develop and demonstrate the technology across the consortium. Operational cost details per unit are not specified in the available project data.

Can this work at industrial scale on a large pig farm?

The system was designed for and demonstrated at Ashleigh Farms, which operates 1,500 sows producing 37,000 pigs per year. The project delivered an on-site pig slurry treatment system and an optimised complete system, indicating it was tested at commercial farm scale.

What about intellectual property and licensing?

The technology was developed by a 100% industry consortium of 5 SME partners. Based on available project data, IP arrangements and licensing terms are not publicly disclosed. Contact the coordinator through SciTransfer for licensing discussions.

Does this help with environmental regulations?

Yes — the project was specifically motivated by tightening EU regulations on pollution and contamination from pig slurry. The system converts waste into biogas, reducing the environmental burden and helping farms meet compliance requirements while contributing to the EU's 20% renewable energy target.

How much does it actually improve biogas production?

The microwave pre-treatment increases biogas yield from pig slurry by 20%, as stated in the project objectives. Critically, it removes the need to add organic material at an 8:1 ratio, which is what currently makes anaerobic digestion of pig slurry economically unviable.

How ready is this for deployment on my farm?

The project delivered 4 demonstrated components: a built microwave reactor with control software, an optimised complete system, an on-site pig slurry treatment system, and an AD validation unit. This was an Innovation Action focused on upscaling and demonstration, meaning the technology was tested beyond the lab.

Can this integrate with my existing anaerobic digestion setup?

The microwave system is designed as a pre-treatment step before anaerobic digestion. Based on the deliverables, the team built both the microwave reactor and an AD validation unit with control software, suggesting it can function as an add-on pre-treatment module for existing AD infrastructure.

Consortium

Who built it

The biowave consortium is notable for being 100% industry with zero universities or research organizations — all 5 partners are SMEs spread across 4 countries (Ireland, France, Romania, UK). This is unusual and signals that the technology had already moved past the research phase before this project began. The coordinator, Ashleigh Farms, is both the technology developer and the end user (a working pig farm with 1,500 sows), which means the system was tested in real operating conditions, not a lab. For a potential buyer or licensee, this consortium structure means you'd be dealing directly with companies that built and operated the system, not academics who theorized about it.

SAIREM SOCIETE POUR L APPLICATION INDUSTRIELLE DE LA RECHERCHE EN ELECTRONIQUE ET MICRO ONDES SASparticipant · FR

How to reach the team

Ashleigh Farms (Environmental) Limited is an Irish SME — SciTransfer can facilitate an introduction to discuss licensing or technology transfer.

Order a report on this consortium

Next steps

Talk to the team behind this work.

Want to know if this microwave pre-treatment system could work for your farm or biogas plant? SciTransfer can connect you directly with the team that built it.

Order a report on this topic More in Energy & Climate