January 6, 2021

Cow mask innovation cuts out methane emissions

UK-based startup ZELP, or Zero Emission Livestock Project, claims that its burp-catching masks will help reduce emissions of methane, a potent greenhouse gas attributed to climate change, CTVNews reported.

ZELP has received funding from the European Union's Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme.

The mask is a muzzle-like device that monitors the percentage of methane gas being released by a cow. When it detects an excessive amount of gas, it converts the methane into water and CO2 before discharge.

Cattle farmers Francisco and Patricio Norris designed the device to help offset methane output from the cow's digestive processes, of which feed additives are "a main driver".

"We believe the greatest contribution to solving this problem will come from developing and scaling technology to neutralise livestock methane emissions, and that is precisely what we are doing," the company says.

The mask runs on solar energy and is wearable to re-charge automatically when in direct sunlight. The mask is recyclable, and its average lifespan is four years.

ZELP says it can reduce methane emissions by 60%.

The mask is also able to detect when a cow is in heat, what the animal's GPS location is and provides real-time monitoring of the converted methane.

"From a data perspective, our breath and methane sensing capabilities make us unique. Through this monitoring, we can minimise the spread and onset of disease, and tap into a brand new layer of analyses in the fields of digestion, feed optimisation and disease management," the company says.