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Swiss methane abatement start-up Sixteen44 is moving its livestock emissions technology from the laboratory into real-world farming conditions, marking a significant step in the search for scalable solutions to agriculture's methane challenge.

The company has announced plans to deploy its first operational field demonstration unit at a Swiss dairy farm, where it will test its proprietary technology designed to directly eliminate enteric methane emissions produced by cattle – without altering feed, changing animal management practices or intervening directly with the animals themselves.

The multi-day demonstration represents Sixteen44's first live agricultural trial and aims to validate the effectiveness of its methane oxidation process under commercial farming conditions.

Methane emissions from enteric fermentation in dairy and beef cattle are among the largest contributors to agricultural greenhouse gas emissions globally. The gas has approximately 80 times the warming potential of carbon dioxide over a 20-year period, making it a critical target for climate mitigation efforts.

However, addressing livestock methane has proved particularly challenging for the food and agriculture sectors.

Unlike concentrated industrial emissions, methane emitted by cattle is highly diluted and dispersed into the atmosphere, making it unsuitable for conventional capture technologies or thermal destruction methods such as flaring.

Sixteen44 claims its technology has been specifically engineered to operate in these low-concentration environments.

The company's plug-and-play system uses an advanced oxidation process to break down methane molecules into water vapour and carbon dioxide at relatively low temperatures. According to the company, the process delivers a 97% net reduction in warming impact.

The field trial comes as food manufacturers and retailers increasingly look for solutions to reduce agricultural emissions across their supply chains.

To date, much of the focus on enteric methane reduction has centred on feed additives designed to suppress methane production within the animal's digestive system. Sixteen44's approach instead targets methane emissions after they are released, potentially offering an alternative pathway for producers unable or unwilling to adopt dietary interventions.

William Ramsay, Co-founder of Sixteen44, said: "Deploying our first field unit is a critical milestone in proving our point-source technology. Livestock emissions represent the exact type of dilute, non-flammable methane that current industrial solutions cannot touch. By demonstrating that we can eliminate these emissions on-site with minimal energy and zero disruption to daily farm operations, we show a clear path toward reducing methane emissions."

Beyond validating the technology itself, the demonstration will support Sixteen44's broader commercial strategy focused on collaboration with agricultural asset owners.

The company plans to leverage carbon credit revenue-sharing models to help farmers finance methane mitigation equipment, potentially lowering the financial barriers to adoption.

The approach could prove attractive to dairy and beef producers facing growing pressure from processors, retailers and consumers to reduce emissions while managing tight operating margins.

For food and beverage companies with ambitious net-zero commitments, technologies capable of addressing livestock methane emissions could become increasingly important in tackling Scope 3 emissions, which often account for the majority of their carbon footprint.

The field trial reflects increasing investment and innovation aimed at reducing methane emissions from agriculture, as governments and businesses intensify efforts to meet climate targets.

While feed additives, breeding programmes and improved herd management continue to play important roles, technologies that directly remove methane emissions could add another tool to the industry's decarbonisation toolkit.

Founded in Switzerland in 2025, Sixteen44 says its technology can also be applied to other high-emission methane sources, including landfills and coal mines.

The company has set a target of removing one million tonnes of methane by 2035, which it says equates to more than double Switzerland's annual carbon dioxide footprint when adjusted for methane's warming potential.