Royal DSM announced this week at COP26 in Glasgow that it is planning to realize large scale production capacity for its novel methane-reducing feed additive for ruminants Bovaer with a new plant at its existing site in Dalry, Scotland, supported by Scottish Enterprise. As emphasized by the first minister of Scotland at the announcement, Scotland offers a welcoming and supportive environment for innovation and production and is leading the way for a net zero future. 

According to DSM, reducing methane emissions is crucial to reach the Paris Agreement target of maximum 1,5 degree warming, especially since methane’s warming effect is shorter lived and much more potent than carbon dioxide. Therefore, eliminating methane will pay off right away.

Experts at COP26 have emphasized the great impact additional focus on methane emission reduction can have, which was also expressed in the recently announced global pledge aiming at reducing methane emissions by 30% by 2030. Amongst other things, methane is emitted from cows – over 50% of emissions from milk production comes in the form of enteric methane emission.

DSM’s Bovaer is a feed additive for cows which consistently reduces enteric methane emission by approximately 30% for ruminants. The endeavor to develop Bovaer encompassed over 10 years, 45 on-farm trials in 13 countries across four continents, and more than 48 peer-reviewed studies published in independent scientific journals.

DSM received full regulatory approvals in Brazil and Chile in early September for the feed additive. DSM has available initial commercial product volumes for near term market development. To prepare for further scale up in the next years, engineering for a new large plant in Dalry has started, which is targeted to begin during the course of 2025. DSM’s Dalry manufacturing site has been in operation for over 60 years and produces high quality micro-nutrients. The site is the only Western producer of vitamin C.

“First of all, we are pleased with the Scottish government’s support of the buildup of our production capacity of Bovaer, particularly within the context of COP26, where the importance of fast climate action through reduction of methane emissions is emphasized again,” said Geraldine Matchett and Dimitri de Vreeze, co-CEOs of DSM. “We are looking forward offering a scientifically proven effective solution to the challenge of methane emissions by farming. As food systems and climate crisis are intrinsically linked, addressing the challenge of sustainable animal farming for a healthy planet is pivotal.”

Nicola Sturgeon, first minister of Scotland, commented, “Methane reducing feed additives are a crucial part of the solutions that the agriculture sector needs to deploy towards achieving climate ambitions. This multi-million-pound investment will make Scotland the home of this innovative product and highlights that Scotland is leading the way in delivering a net zero future.”

DSM recently launched a series of new quantifiable commitments aimed to address urgent societal and environmental challenges linked to how the world produces and consumes food by 2030, the Food System Commitments. These commitments cover three areas where the company believes it can make the greatest positive impact together with its business partners: Health for People, Health for Planet and Healthy Livelihoods. One of DSM’s commitments is to enable double-digit on-farm reduction of livestock emissions by 2030. DSM can help make a sizeable reduction in emissions from farms by changing the feed that animals eat every day. Bovaer is a prime example: one quarter of a teaspoon per cow per day will consistently reduce enteric methane emission by approximately 30% - enabling a 10-12% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions per kilo of milk.