Duck slurry - Development of a Processing Plant for Recycling of Duck Slurry

Silver Hill Foods, a large duck breeding and processing company in Ireland, produces approximately 3 million ducks a year and is responsible for the creation of 70-80,000 tons of duck slurry. Prior to the LIFE project, this waste was spread on agricultural land, with obvious implications on nitrate loading and leaching, and associated high transportation costs. The project developed and built a fully integrated plant that separates solid matter from liquid, allowing the production of dried fertiliser pellets. Furthermore, the slurry was first processed by anaerobic digestion, which facilitates the production of biogas. This gas can be used to heat and run the plant. The process has reduced the environmental impact of the large poultry production site. Another key result is the long-term sustainability of the process, which will reduce the cost of disposal of waste which severely inhibits the beneficiary’s competitiveness on a global market. It will lead to the creation of a marketable product that can generate revenue for the company and contribute to the sustained success of the beneficiary with alternative income streams, for example selling the slurry as a fertiliser. The project is also particularly significant from the point of view of the Nitrates Directive, which aims to protect watercourses throughout Europe.