Think feed additives are the only way? There’s an air-based fix to check out.

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY: MEPS slashes barn methane by up to 90% and ammonia by 80%—far beyond the ~30% cut from feed additives like Bovaer. It even converts ammonia into ammonium chloride fertilizer, which is worth money. With milk at $21.60/cwt and carbon credits near $60/t CO₂e, controlling methane at the source can boost your bottom line. Proven in Denmark and now in large-scale U.S trials at Benton Group (4,000 cows), this tech is poised to reshape dairy in 2025. You owe it to your profit and planet—give it a try.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

1. Achieve up to 90% methane and 80% ammonia reduction in barn air—tested in real barns.
2. Optimize ventilation: about 4,200 m³/hr per 250 cows maximizes gas removal.
3. Monetize offsets: carbon credits trading at $50–$75/t CO₂e add revenue.
4. Plan for a 5–7 year payback on $500 K–$1 M installs—plus fertilizer byproduct sales.
5. Start measuring methane now; partner with extension specialists and neighbors for joint trials.

The thing about methane is, it’s sneaking into every corner of the barn—from fresh-cow breath to manure heaps—and with regulations tightening across the U.S. and Canada, it’s shifted from an environmental buzzword into a real cost on the farm.

But here’s an interesting twist. Ambient Carbon, a company that flies somewhat under the radar, is taking a different approach. Instead of fiddling with feed additives or wrestling manure, they’ve built a system that zaps methane right out of the barn air. Their Methane Eradication System, MEPS, has achieved significant results in the field.

Breaking Down the Barn Barrier

A 250-cow Danish farm running MEPS 12 hr/day at ~4,200 m³/h airflow saw barn-air methane plunge by 90% and ammonia by 80%, turning that ammonia into ammonium chloride fertilizer—a potential revenue stream (University of Copenhagen study). MEPS achieves this by generating chlorine radicals through saltwater electrolysis and UV light—tiny molecular scissors that slice methane apart at room temperature, thereby avoiding the high-heat safety risks associated with traditional methods.

Scaling Up in the U.S.

Danone North America is funding a large-scale trial at Benton Group Dairies in Indiana—a 4,000-cow freestall facility—so we can see how this Danish technology performs in American barns and climates (PR Newswire).

How It Stacks Up

• Bovaer cuts ~30% of rumen methane (FDA approved) but ignores barn-air emissions (Elanco data).
• Anaerobic digesters trap methane from manure, but do nothing to address airborne off-gassing.
• MEPS addresses all emission streams—enteric, manure, and bedding—for a comprehensive barn solution.

Does It Pencil Out?

• Milk price: ~$21.60 per hundredweight (Aug 2026, USDA AMS).
• Carbon credits: $50–$75 per tonne of CO₂ equivalent (tCO₂e) on voluntary markets.
• At $60/tCO₂e, a 250-cow MEPS unit can earn ~$45 K/year, yielding a 6–8 year payback on a $500 K–$1 M install—before fertilizer value or low-carbon milk premiums.

On-the-Ground Realities

MEPS arrives containerized, plugs into the barn’s ventilation and power system, and requires routine UV lamp swaps, as well as effective saltwater management. It draws ~3 kW continuously, and farmers must safely manage the ammonia-rich byproduct.

Dr. Amanda Stone of Cornell’s Ag & Biological Engineering cautions that long-term durability and total cost of ownership remain unknown—multi-year performance data are vital.

Regional Adaptation Matters

Wisconsin’s climate-controlled freestalls aren’t the same as California’s cross-ventilated barns baking under Central Valley sun. Upcoming regional trials will reveal whether MEPS can flex across extremes.

Your Monday-Morning Action Plan

• Measure methane at the barn exhaust using a certified NDIR/FTIR device, aiming for a concentration of under 10 parts per million (ppm).
• Target an airflow of approximately 4,200 cubic meters per hour (m³/h) per 250 cows.
• Investigate opening accounts with carbon credit registries (e.g., Verra) to monetize offsets in the $50–$75/tCO₂e range.
• Develop safe protocols for handling ammonium chloride fertilizer byproduct.
• Coordinate trial collaborations or shared equipment purchases with nearby farms to maximize resources and efficiency.

Keep your eyes on Benton’s Indiana pilot—if it confirms the early Danish results, comprehensive methane management could become a competitive advantage.

Where do you stand? Are you lining up your next steps or waiting to see how the dust settles? Share your thoughts below. If you’d like a copy of our ROI worksheet to run your own numbers or some social media templates to spark conversation, let us know in the comments.

Learn More:

• The Carbon Credit Programs Every Dairy Should Join Before 2026 – This article provides a strategic deep-dive into monetizing carbon credits. It reveals specific aggregator programs, typical revenue splits, and the critical cost considerations, demonstrating how to turn environmental compliance into a robust profit center for your operation.
• Sustainable Dairy Farming: Revolutionizing Practices for a Greener, Profitable Future – This piece offers tactical, on-farm strategies beyond air-based fixes. It explores practical methods for water conservation, waste-to-energy conversion, and soil health improvement, showing how holistic management can boost both sustainability and overall farm productivity.
• 6 Game-Changing ID Technologies Every North American Dairy Farm Needs Now – Look to the future with this overview of innovative herd management tools. It details how technologies like facial recognition and rumen biosensors are creating data-driven efficiency gains, offering a complementary view on how tech can optimize your entire operation.

Join the Revolution!

Join over 30,000 successful dairy professionals who rely on Bullvine Weekly for their competitive edge. Delivered directly to your inbox each week, our exclusive industry insights help you make smarter decisions while saving precious hours every week. Never miss critical updates on milk production trends, breakthrough technologies, and profit-boosting strategies that top producers are already implementing. Subscribe now to transform your dairy operation’s efficiency and profitability—your future success is just one click away.