T6.180 Methane Power from New Holland, a 100% methane tractor prototype

At the inauguration of the biomethane production site and bio-CNG station in Cestas, New Holland unveiled its methane-powered tractor prototype, the T6.180 Methane Power.
The event, organized by Air Liquide, Pot au Pin Energie and Carrefour, took place on 22 June 2018. The Pot au Pin Energie farm (and its Planète Végétal brand) specializes in growing carrots and leeks and hosts a biomethane production unit.

A station supplying vehicles dedicated to road transport is also installed nearby.

New Holland thus presented the methane-powered T6.180 Methane Power.

It features an engine that uses a brand-new, even more efficient combustion technology, developed specifically for agricultural applications by FPT Industrial, a CNH Industrial brand and the leader in natural gas mobility for more than 20 years.

The NEF 6-cylinder methane engine delivers a power output of 180 ch and a torque of 740 Nm, exactly like its diesel equivalent.

With identical durability and service intervals, it offers up to 30% savings on operating costs.

The innovative tank design, made of a layered composite tubular structure, allows a full day of autonomy, just like its diesel equivalent.

This methane-powered tractor prototype offers another advantage: very quiet operation, with engine noise reduced by 3 dBA.

This translates into a reduction of approximately 50% in the noise generated by the vehicle. It is therefore an ideal solution for municipalities, work in livestock farms and transport activities.

In real-world conditions, the methane-powered tractor prototype reduces CO2 emissions by at least 10% and polluting emissions by 80% compared with a standard diesel tractor. Its environmental performance improves even further when the tractor runs on biomethane produced from cereal residues and waste from energy crops grown on the farm, for a nearly zero CO2 balance.

The methane-powered tractor concept, the essential element of the virtuous circle of the Energy Independent Farm™
The methane-powered T6.180 Methane Power tractor prototype thus closes the loop of the virtuous circle of the Energy Independent Farm™.

This tractor is the essential element of the virtuous circle of neutral CO2 production, whereby an energy-independent farm is able to produce the energy it needs to power its facilities, heat the farm buildings and run its equipment.

Biomethane is a sustainable fuel, particularly well suited to farms that have the raw material and the space to house a digester to produce biomethane fuel.

The digester is fed with specific energy crops, animal manure, food waste or cereal residues.

It can use waste collected from food processing plants, supermarkets and restaurants, as well as products gathered on the farm.

The biogas produced by the digester is then transferred to a purification station, where it is converted into fuel-grade methane to power the farm's vehicles and machinery.

The biogas can also be used to fuel a generator to produce electricity, which will be partly used on the farm and partly fed into the power grid for local communities.