Page 12 - AWA Vol.42-No7 issue

ANIMAL HEALTH

ZELP Sense™: A breakthrough wearable device for

real-world livestock emissions measurement at scale

A new wearable device to mea- cultural methane emissions coming
sure livestock methane emissions from livestock digestion, measuring and CEO of ZELP. “We are already
has been commercially released in these emissions is an important first working with partners who want
to measure Scope 3 emissions, run
a major step forward for measuring step in assessing and validating mit- large-scale inventory programmes,
greenhouse gas emissions from live- igation techniques. accelerate the development of
stock at scale.
The ZELP Sense wearable device methane-mitigating feed additives
ZELP Sense is a low-cost, easy-to- collects emissions-related data from and vaccines, and verify which strat-
use system for continuously measur- close to the cow’s nostrils, which is egies are working for their clients in
ing methane emissions from individ- then processed using ZELP’s pro- the field.”
ual cows in real-world settings. The prietary algorithms. Results are de- ZELP Sense was developed with
technology combines a wearable livered, in grams per day, via ZELP co-funding from the Global Methane
device, automated data transfer and Insight, a mobile-optimised web Hub’s Enteric Fermentation R&D Ac-
a user-friendly app to enable more application. The system has been celerator, which supports practical,
practical and scalable measurement developed and tested through more high-impact solutions to reduce live-
in commercial and research settings. than 20,000 hours of real-world use, stock methane emissions.
with initial evaluation trials indicat-
Existing measurement tools can “This launch is an important mile-
be expensive, operationally com- ing that ZELP Sense can produce stone for our Accelerator pro-
plex, and dependent on controlled emission estimates of comparable gramme and for the methane-reduc-
settings or long animal adaptation reliability to existing accepted ap- tion ecosystem more broadly,” said
periods, limiting their deployment proaches. Hayden Montgomery, Agriculture
beyond specialist facilities. Unlike ZELP Sense gives users a practical Program Director at the Global Meth-
systems that require animals to enter way to understand emissions and ane Hub. “Effective measurement is
controlled chambers or voluntarily identify which mitigation strategies foundational to progress, and ZELP
visit fixed feed stations, ZELP Sense are working in practice. Govern- Sense promises to help generate
is designed to track emissions in real ments, companies and researchers the real-world evidence needed to
farm environments, where cattle can can use it to conduct large-scale identify, validate and scale effective
continue their normal feeding and emissions inventories, improve enteric methane solutions.”
drinking behaviours. emission factors, support selective
breeding programmes, and gener- Animal welfare and operational
Methane is categorised as a “super simplicity have been central to the
pollutant” because it is more than ate the real-world data needed for development of ZELP Sense. The
80 times more powerful than car- reporting, incentives and regulation. wearable device includes a comfort-
bon dioxide over a 20-year period. For organisations developing and able, breathable headpiece, a flexi-
The greenhouse gas is responsible assessing methane-mitigation tools, ble nosepiece and a gas-sensing unit
for more than 45 percent of recent it offers a faster, more cost-effective integrated with a breakaway safety
global warming. Reducing volumes way to test, iterate and verify their mechanism so the device can detach
of methane emissions is the single impact in real farm conditions. if caught. During development and
fastest way to slow rising global “ZELP Sense is a practical, scal- testing, cattle typically only showed
temperatures, due to the green- able way for the industry to measure a brief behavioural response to de-
house gas’ shorter lifespan in the emissions from individual cows,” vice fitting, before quickly returning
atmosphere. With 70 percent of agri- said Francisco Norris, co-founder to normal behaviours. Circle 8 on enquiry card
10 Vol. 42 No. 7