Mobile FAN separators from the Bauer Group ensure the sensible use of pig and cattle manure on the island of Malta.
It is well known that manure is a valuable agricultural resource. On the island of Malta, three low-emission trucks with self-sufficient power generators have been on the road since April 2021, which - equipped with mobile FAN plug & play separators - drive from farm to farm as state-of-the-art separation systems.
In 2019, Malta's leading environmental service provider PT Matic Environmental Services Ltd (PTM) carried out research together with the Ministry for the Environment, Sustainable Development and Climate Change and the Agency for Governance of Agricultural Bio-Resouces (GAB) on the recycling of manure from local cattle and animal husbandry pig farms. The study highlighted the urgent need to meet the country's goals on water resources and environmental issues. Driven by Malta's vision of sustainable agriculture, GAB commissioned PTM with the delivery of three mobile manure dewatering systems based on FAN Plug & Play separators. The aim was a sustainable use of the solids content - in addition, the liquid phase, which is obtained from the manure, should be treated as second-class water and used to irrigate agricultural areas.
Each of the three manure dewatering systems consists of a FAN plug & play separator PSS 3.3-780 and a FAN centrifugal separator CCS 3.1-150. These are mounted on a truck that is equipped with a self-powered electric generator. The result is a compact, mobile system that drives to the cattle and pig farms on the island and separates the liquid manure on site.
What becomes of the manure
Despite the novelty of this project, many farmers already benefit from the state initiative. When the manure is separated, the liquid part is fed into the municipal sewage treatment plant. The solid content can be used as organic fertilizer on the farm itself or other agricultural areas in the vicinity. In this way, nutrients and minerals are added to the earth and the fertility of the Maltese soil is maintained. The liquid phase can also be used perfectly as irrigation water, which is a major advantage, especially in an arid country like Malta. Thanks to these three liquid manure dewatering systems with FAN technology, an important contribution is made to achieving the national and European sustainability goals.
