By Scout Nelson
Faculty and students at the University of Nebraska Lincoln will soon have new opportunities to study sustainable farming technology thanks to the donation of two methane-powered tractors from CNH. The tractors were donated through the University of Nebraska Foundation and will support agricultural research, education, and hands-on learning at the university.
The tractors are New Holland T6.180 models, recognized as the world’s first fully methane-powered production tractors. Each machine has a retail value of $287,240 and is designed to reduce emissions while maintaining productivity on farms. The tractors will be used at the Eastern Nebraska Research, Extension and Education Center near Mead, Nebraska.
The donation was arranged with the help of Andy Dozler, manufacturing engineering manager at CNH’s Grand Island facility. Dozler graduated from Nebraska in 2004 with a degree in mechanized systems management and now serves on the Biological Systems Engineering advisory board. CNH’s engineering department in Grand Island also employs several University of Nebraska alumni.
“I was made aware of a unique opportunity that CNH was looking to donate several state-of-the-art methane-powered tractors to universities,” Dozler said. “The goal was to place this advanced equipment in the hands of students for real-world use, helping prepare the next generation of farmers and innovators while demonstrating the viability of alternative-powered machinery in everyday agricultural operations.”
The tractors can operate using biomethane created from livestock manure and plant waste on farms equipped with biodigesters. At the university, they will initially run on compressed natural gas. University officials say the equipment will help students and researchers better understand sustainable energy use and future farming technologies.
“ENREEC functions as both a working farm and a commercial-scale laboratory where faculty, staff, students, producers, partner organizations and members of the public can observe and test new and emerging technologies,” said Doug Zalesky, director of ENREEC. “This donation is an incredible addition to the slate of technologies here at ENREEC, and it highlights the strong partnership we’re grateful to share with CNH. We’re extremely thankful to CNH for the donation of these tractors, and we look forward to putting them to work.”
The tractors were built at a CNH facility in Basildon. More information about Nebraska agricultural research programs is available here.
Photo Credit: gettyimages-gueholl
Categories: Nebraska, Education, Energy