The dairy farm grant scheme has re-opened to support energy-efficiency investments, the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI) has announced.As in the previous two years, grants will contribute to the installation of variable speed drive vacuum and milk pumps.
The dairy farm grant scheme has re-opened to support energy-efficiency investments, the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI) has announced.
As in the previous two years, grants will contribute to the installation of variable speed drive vacuum and milk pumps.
The technology adjusts the speed of the pump to the milking machine’s need in real time, reducing electricity consumption, costs and noise.
The 40% grant rate remains unchanged across all projects supported, up to a maximum of €3,000 for new vacuum pumps on three-phase electricity supply and €5,000 on single-phase. Retrofitting an existing vacuum pump with a variable speed drive can attract up to €1,250 in support on a three-phase installation and €1,750 on single-phase.
Milk pump upgrades can receive up to €1,000. Applications can take place until 28 June through registered farm advisers, with a €500,000 budget available for the scheme this year.
The grants will be among the topics discussed at the Energy Efficiency in Dairying conference, organised by SEAI and Teagasc, at the Ashtown campus in Dublin on Friday. At the event, farmers and energy professionals will also hear about other schemes such as the SEAI community grants available to discussion groups, and from the Department of Agriculture on the wider issue of greenhouse gas emissions from dairy farms.
Read more
10 tips to lower your farm energy use
Reducing energy costs on dairy farms
Watch: slowing down the milking pumps to halve electricity bill
Making sense of energy saving devices
This is a subscriber-only article
SHARING OPTIONS: