WE ASK THE CUSTOMER
How biopower is gaining traction on the farm
Read time: 4.5 minutes
The T7 Methane Power from New Holland will help farmers transition to more sustainable farming practices and access the new biogas ecosystem that is gradually expanding across Europe
Christophe Rousseau is a farmer, entrepreneur and biomethane pioneer. So when CNH brand New Holland suggested he try out its powerful new T7 Methane Power, which runs on compressed biogas, he leapt at the chance. “During the silage season it worked eight hours from nine to five without refueling,” he said. “That’s a minimum requirement. But the production version will have a fuel capacity 30% greater than the prototype I tested.”
During the silage season it worked eight hours from nine to five without refueling
A comprehensive redesign
Following the successful introduction in 2022 of the smaller New Holland T6.180 Methane Power, a mid-sized tractor with a 175-horsepower engine, the Brand set about developing a larger and more powerful model. Engineers at New Holland’s Alternative Fuels Centre of Excellence in Basildon, UK, took advantage of the T7’s larger chassis to design and build a tractor with substantially more on-board gas storage.
The T7 Methane Power develops just as much power as the diesel-powered T7.270. But by rethinking the fuel storage layout, New Holland engineers have created a tractor with a tank capable of holding a total of 657 liters (173 gallons US) of gas and still within the design envelope of its diesel cousin. This results in much greater capacity than its smaller T6 precursor, enabling it to run for many more hours between refueling stops, while working with bigger implements or hauling heavier loads. A forthcoming technological innovation will soon enhance the tractor’s autonomy even further.
Introduced in 2023 at Agritechnica, the largest agricultural machinery show in Germany, the T7.270 Methane Power tractor again demonstrates New Holland’s commitment to being a Clean Energy Leader, advancing the Brand’s objective of ultimately offering farmers a full range of machines using alternative power.
On the left: the New Holland T7 Methane Power tractor at a recharging station. On the right: The T7 Methane Power tractor during sileage operations.
Greener fields
But the use of biomethane-powered tractors can only become widespread once the supporting infrastructure is in place, a challenge that CNH is addressing through innovation and industry partnerships.
In the UK, the Company has invested in renewable agricultural start-up Bennamann to develop small-scale on-farm refueling stations so farmers can fuel their tractors from their own biogas micro-digesters that process manure from dairy herds.
In France, meantime, New Holland works with agro-entrepreneurs such as Mr. Rousseau to explore the practicalities of using methane-powered tractors.
As a leading light in the Association des Agriculteurs Méthaniseurs de France (AAMF) [Association of French Agricultural Biogas Producers], Mr. Rousseau has a wealth of expertise in the everyday challenges and economics of developing the use of biogas.
He runs a thousand-hectare (2,470-acre) livestock and cereal farm, the Ferme de Come, in Burgundy, France. Besides fattening cattle and selling meat direct to the public, Mr. Rousseau has taken a close interest in the shift to clean energy. He has installed solar panels on the roofs of the farm buildings and built a biogas and cogeneration plant which generates 500 kWh of electricity, fed by manure from his herd.
The T7 Methane Power develops just as much power as the diesel-powered T7.270. But by rethinking the fuel storage layout, New Holland engineers have created a tractor with a tank capable of holding a total of 657 liters (173 gallons US) of gas and still within the design envelope of its diesel cousin.
On the left: Mr. Rousseau near the New Holland T7 Methane Power tractor during the demo tour in France. On the right: The T7 Methane Power tractor during sileage operations.
Turning waste into fuel
Mr. Rousseau’s farm at Domecy-sur-Cure is located close to the main highway between Paris and Lyon and Marseille, and he has a friend who owns a fleet of 200 trucks running on compressed natural gas. But if these lorries – like New Holland's T7.270 Methane Power tractors, could run on biogas, they would be greener still. So aided by a grant from France’s Energy Transition Agency, ADEME, they have built a substantial second biogas plant in the nearby town of Avallon. Their company collects organic waste from food retailers and food processors and uses it to generate biomethane on a commercial scale. The gas is pumped into the local gas distribution system. This plant could supply fuel for T7.270 Methane Power tractors operated by Mr. Rousseau. The plant is a pioneering contribution to the energy transition, but it also highlights the complexities that innovators are working hard to resolve. Food waste has to be pasteurized at 70˚ C (158˚ F) before it can be added to the biogas digester to kill any pathogens, says Mr. Rousseau. And the resulting gas must be filtered before it can be pumped into the distribution system or used in trucks or tractors. In the UK, some farmers are developing on-farm filtration plants to enable farm biogas to be used in methane-powered tractors and loaders. For now, Mr. Rousseau’s T7 Methane Power must either go to his biogas plant in Avallon, or he must bring compressed biogas to the farm in a special truck.
Seeking economies of scale
Looking across the European continent, there’s every reason to foresee a bright future for biogas-powered farm machinery. At end-March 2025, the European Biogas Association (EBA) counted 1,678 biogas plants in Europe, up 9% year-on-year. France topped the ranking with 760 plants, followed by Germany, Italy and the UK. Growth in France has been rapid, encouraged by a shift in subsidies from the use of biogas to generate electricity in favor of supplying gas directly to the distribution system. The EBA reckons this positive regulatory environment will help underpin billions more Euros of investments in biogas plants across Europe by 2030. Another key factor for users is cost. Subsidies and other supportive measures for CNG and biogas will play an important role in making these fuels competitive, alongside the technological progress already under way. Mr. Rousseau applauds the way CNH and New Holland are leading the development of methane-powered machinery worldwide. The T7.270 Methane Power performs every bit as well as the diesel variant, he says. With the right incentives towards the biogas sector, he’s convinced biogas has a great future in Europe. As the story of the T7 Methane Power shows, developing more sustainable farming practices doesn’t begin or end at the farmyard gate. It takes hard work and determined collaboration between farmers, innovators and policymakers to create a whole new energy ecosystem.
CNH is a world-class equipment, technology and services company that sustainably advances the noble work of agriculture and construction workers.
CNH Industrial N.V.
Corporate Office: Cranes Farm Road, Basildon, Essex, SS14 3AD
United Kingdom