Seed project: Increased self-sufficiency in renewable energy and fertilizer on farms with livestock production

The supply of renewable energy and fertilizer to farms is a cornerstone of safe and sustainable national food production. Manure can be digested and provide energy in the form of biogas (methane) and a digestate that can replace artificial fertilizer in the fields. The seed project will investigate how the operation of the anaerobic digestion process can support stable biogas production.

Project information

Project manager
Ulrika Welander
Other project members
Joacim Rosenlund, Stephanie Carleklev, Linnaeus University
Participating organizations
A number of farms, various companies depending on the project orientation
Financier
Linnaeus University: Green Sustainable Development
Timetable
15 September 2025 – 31 December 2026
Subject
Energy and Environment (Department of Built Environment and Energy Technology, Faculty of Technology)
Research group
Bioresource Technology
Knowledge Environment
Linnaeus Knowledge Environment: Green Sustainable Development

More about the project

Biogas production from manure can provide a continuous supply of energy and fertilizer. At present, only a small part of the manure is digested, although the number of farm-based biogas plants has increased significantly in recent years. The digestion process is based on microbial activity, and it is therefore sensitive. The project "Increased self-sufficiency of renewable energy and fertilizer on farms with animal production" is about applying for funding in collaboration between researchers, farmers and companies to be able to work on optimizing the operation of farm-based biogas plants. The applications are about issues that farmers have conveyed during the previous project "Entrepreneurship for sustainable energy systems in agriculture", which was funded by the Kamprad Family Foundation.

The seed project is part of the research in the Bioresource Technology research group and in the Linnaeus Knowledge Environment: Green Sustainable Development.

Photo: David Stigson

What is a seed project?

A seed project is a minor project funded by a knowledge environment or a research group at the university. The aim is to launch and promote excellent research. Depending on the financier, a seed project may be to idenfify new or deepen existing collaborations, preferably cross-disciplinary ones, to explore possible research issues in a feasibility study, to collect empirical material, or to write an application for external funding.