University of Life Sciences in Poznań (UPP) – educates over 11 thousand students annually in 8 faculties and in 19 fields of study. The University manages many scientific projects financed, among others from the POIG program (in recent years 17 projects worth PLN 128.6 million – 30 mln EUR), as well as by institutions such as the Ministry of Science and Higher Education, NCBiR, NCN, the European Commission and commissioned by private entities. The UPP’s largest unit is the Faculty of Agronomy and Bioengineering. Institute of Biosystem Engineering (IIB), in which the implementation of part of this project is planned, it is the largest scientific unit in the faculty. In the last 5 years, IIB employees have conducted a total of 22 research projects for the amount of over 5.5 million PLN, as part of own project, and financed by Ministry of Science and Higher Education, National Science Center, development projects, projects from the OPIE and from the 6th and 7th EU Framework Program. IIB, as the only UP scientific unit and as one of the few among Poznan units, participated as a leader or partner in the 5th, 6th and 7th EU Framework Program. Both IIB employees and Ph.D. students are contractors in many national and international projects.
SHORT DESCRIPTION
ROLE IN MILKEY
In WP1, PULS will contribute its expertise and make sure that the indicators, selected parameters, and assessments presented on the MilKey platform are appropriate to describe the Polish situation of DPS. In particular, PULS will contribute to define system boundaries and develop the concept of three project pillars. In WP2, PULS will join the work on monitoring air quality parameters (both indoors and in areas surrounding livestock buildings and a biogas plant next to the farm). PULS will also acquire comprehensive, unique data related to emissions from manure and liquid manure stored in traditional technologies of natural fertilizer management (through the use of fertilizers in the fields), and will determine the degree of emissions reduction by using dung produced by dairy cattle directly to biogas plants, without storage period. In WP3, PULS will provide detailed information from case studies of dairy farms in Poland (both those highly developed and using advanced technical and technological solutions, and small ones using simple solutions) and will develop suggestions for optimizing these systems.
In WP4, PULS will develop scenarios for reducing greenhouse gas emissions from dairy farming through the use of biogas plant in cattle waste processing (in this model, the biogas plant is the final technological stage of dairy production). Using data obtained from the experimental farm in Przybroda, PULS will develop energy and economic model for biogas plants in dairy cow farms of various sizes, and the results obtained will be forwarded to partners to extend the model’s operation to countries with other economic factors (different prices of electricity and heat from biogas plants, different conditions for biogas investments, investment costs, etc.). In WP5, PULS will be involved in maximizing project impact through comprehensive dissemination of project results, including active communication with stakeholders outside the project consortium. In WP6, PULS will be involved in cooperation with the national audit agency as well as with the international funding consortium.