For many small livestock farms, animal waste is becoming both an environmental liability and an economic burden. UK based EcoNomad Solutions is looking to turn that equation around by giving smaller farms access to renewable energy technology traditionally designed for much larger agricultural operations. The company has secured £230,000 from the British Design Fund as it works to commercialise and scale its BioNomad system across the UK and eventually international markets.
£400,000 Funding Round
The British Design Fund investment forms part of a wider £400,000 funding round that also includes an Innovate UK Investor Partnership grant and additional backing from existing investor Beeches Group.
The new capital will support EcoNomad’s product development and commercial expansion as the company seeks to make decentralised waste to energy technology more accessible to small and mid sized livestock farms.
The company is targeting farmers facing rising energy and fertiliser costs alongside growing pressure to reduce methane emissions and comply with increasingly stringent waste management requirements.
Turning Farm Waste Into Energy
At the centre of EcoNomad’s offering is BioNomad, a patented anaerobic digestion system developed specifically for smaller agricultural operations.
The technology captures methane that would otherwise escape into the atmosphere and converts organic farm waste into biogas. The resulting energy can be used for heating, cooking or electricity generation, while the digestion process also produces biofertiliser that can reduce farmers’ dependence on conventional chemical fertilisers.
EcoNomad says a typical smallholding with around 50 cows could potentially save several thousand pounds each year on energy and fertiliser, depending on how the system is operated and the farm’s individual energy requirements.
Designed For Smaller Farms
Traditional anaerobic digestion systems have largely been developed for large agricultural businesses because of their scale and economics. For smaller farms, such systems can be too expensive, complicated or physically unsuitable.
EcoNomad has designed BioNomad around this gap in the market, focusing on a decentralised approach that can operate on smaller farms and in rural or off grid environments.
The company’s target customers include dairy, beef, pig and poultry farms across the UK, Europe and other international markets.
From Latin America to the UK
The concept behind BioNomad originated in Latin America, where EcoNomad founder and CEO Dr Ilan Adler saw how relatively simple decentralised waste to energy systems could support rural communities.
After moving to the UK more than 15 years ago to pursue a PhD at University College London, Adler identified similarities between waste management challenges in emerging and developed markets.
His subsequent work focused on adapting the concept for colder climates, smaller agricultural operations and the regulatory environment of the UK and Europe. With more than two decades of experience in environmental engineering, including wastewater treatment, anaerobic digestion and renewable energy, Adler developed the technology into a patented commercial system.
A Royal Academy of Engineering fellowship also supported the early development of BioNomad.
Technology Already In The Field
EcoNomad says its technology is already operating on more than 10 farms across the UK, with additional installations in Africa.
The company has also conducted trials involving insect farms and food waste streams. Its systems have been tested alongside solar and wind generation, with integrated renewable setups capable of charging batteries for electric vehicles.
Scaling Across Europe
EcoNomad plans to use the latest funding to increase commercial deployment in the UK while continuing to improve the BioNomad system.
Over the coming years, the company aims to transform BioNomad into a more automated plug and play solution that requires less intervention from farmers.
Following expansion across the UK, EcoNomad plans to explore European and emerging markets, with the longer term goal of making on farm waste to energy technology affordable and practical for small farms worldwide.