Auga M1 takes to the fields for additional assessments

Based mostly in Lithuania, Auga is an organisation that declares itself as a “vertically built-in natural meals producer”, with a mission to ship natural meals for free of charge to nature.

Three years in the past, the group checked out its general emissions and calculated that 30% of them arose from the usage of fossil fuels, and so it set about growing a brand new tractor powered by an alternate power supply.

Prototype fleet

The result’s the Auga M1, a 400hp machine utilizing a hybrid biomethane-electric system to energy it, which was first unveiled to the general public in late 2021.

This season, three completely different variations of the tractor shall be examined on the corporate’s farms with the outcomes being distilled into the ultimate model which is to go on sale in some unspecified time in the future sooner or later.

The chief declare to this machine being a breakthrough in tractor design rests on the truth that it may run for 12 hours with out refuelling.

When it does have to high up, the methane is contained in canisters which might be swapped over, reasonably than crammed whereas nonetheless on board the tractor.

This, the corporate claims, has solved the restricted vary and refuelling points which have plagued different designs.

Twin energy sources

It goes on to clarify that when working beneath regular circumstances that don’t require excessive energy, the tractor shops the generated power reserve within the batteries.

Such an association, Auga claims, doesn’t waste power in low load circumstances for it makes use of a comparatively small, however environment friendly, motor when full energy just isn’t required. It’s then in a position to change again to the principle engine when wanted.

In line with Kestutis Juscius, CEO of AUGA group, the selection of biomethane as a substitute gas just isn’t unintentional as a result of Auga considers it one of many greenest varieties of biofuel.

Methane, collected from livestock waste and transformed to biomethane, offsets extra emissions per unit of power in its manufacturing and use cycle, than it emits the corporate tells us.

Auga manages roughly 39,000ha of organically licensed tillage land and employs over 1,200 folks, permitting loads of scope for testing.