Ukraine has become Europe’s largest grain-growing region. This is an attractive market for leading companies that manufacture specialized grain-storage equipment. One such company is the British firm Martin Lishman, whose representatives we met at the recent «Grain Technologies» exhibition in Kyiv.
The British company has been manufacturing ventilation systems for various types of grain storage facilities for more than 40 years. These column-type systems can operate both in old, non-renovated buildings and in modern, large-capacity grain stores designed to hold tens of thousands of tonnes.
However, the British manufacturer specializes in innovative methods of storing grain right on small farms that don’t plan to send their grain to elevators.
«There are a great many buildings in Ukraine that need modernizing. But there’s no money, and this can be done very efficiently. You can take any cattle shed and turn it into a grain store. What’s more, the systems are also designed for new buildings, and they make it possible to significantly reduce capital investment», — says Dr. Gavin Lishman, head of the company «Martin Lishman».
The «Column Hall» and portable systems
The Pile-Dry Pedestal & Fans systems use ventilation columns, which are perforated base cones fitted with individual blowers.
They form 6-by-6-meter squares. These Pile-Dry Pedestal & Fans systems are suitable for various types of storage: flat-bottom grain stores, silos, and bins.
Depending on the height and the storage facility, P2 pedestals 3 meters (10 feet) long and P3 pedestals 5 meters (16 feet) long can be used, with the option to extend them by 2 meters.
A block of P2 pedestals can ventilate 80 to 120 tonnes of grain. The recommended F2 fan, rated at 1.1 kW, moves 2,380 cubic meters of air per hour.
A block of P3 pedestals can ventilate 350 to 900 tonnes of grain. The recommended F3 fan, rated at 1.5 kW, moves 2,380 cubic meters of air per hour.
The standard approach is to install the system in the grain store before it’s filled with grain. The design’s simplicity makes installation easy and requires no structural modifications.
There’s also a portable version of this ventilation system. In this case, the ventilation pipes can be inserted directly into the grain.
The system works equally well with various crops stored in bulk – barley, wheat, rice, legumes, potatoes, notes Gavin Lishman. There’s a modification for very fine grain. And the portable units are popular among small barley producers supplying craft beer and whisky in northern England and Scotland.
«Many of our clients are small barley producers who supply their product to specific whisky and beer manufacturers. Their task is to keep this barley at a strictly defined temperature. Harvested barley needs to rest for 6 to 16 weeks before germination. If you don’t keep it cool enough, the seeds start to germinate. And barley like that won’t ferment properly, meaning you won’t get whisky of the right quality»,— says the head of «Martin Lishman», describing the experience of using mobile column ventilation.
Active ventilation as an economical alternative to drying
During harvest, large volumes of high-moisture grain arrive at the threshing floor. For small producers, grain dryers are needed to quickly dry all the incoming grain. However, the economic efficiency of this equipment will be low if it’s only used during the busy harvest season.
And if the crops being grown have grain prone to cracking — beans, corn — gentle handling and storage methods preserve quality and reduce losses. Modern systems make it possible to dry grain using active ventilation.
Wet, uncooled grain can lose up to 0.2% of its dry matter per day. The higher the moisture content and temperature of the grain, the more active the gas exchange, which triggers fungal and insect activity. At the same time, mycotoxin standards are being tightened not only in the EU, but also in Asian countries, which are becoming increasingly attentive to grain quality amid growing supply.
As for drying rates in Pile-Dry Pedestal & Fans systems, on average it’s up to 2% per week. At moisture levels above 20%, other drying methods are recommended.
«The fan should only switch on when the surrounding air is drier than the grain. It’s slow drying, but it will happen. And it costs significantly less than using traditional dryers. We can’t store very wet grain. Or rather, we can, but not to a great depth. At greater depths, we need to put already-dry grain into storage»,— Lishman clarifies.
For elevators of various capacities and small grain stores, the company offers an automatic ventilation monitoring and control system. When the air temperature is lower than the grain temperature, the system switches on cooling of the product. The customer can view the current status and any changes taking place on any internet-connected device. A similar program can be used for drying grain: the process starts whenever the surrounding air is drier than the grain.
According to Martin Lishman, the company’s ventilation systems can cut electricity costs by up to 40% when cooling crops. This is achieved through the columns’ ability to operate independently, providing ventilation to specific zones that need airflow without switching on ventilation for the entire volume.
Proven in Europe
Other types of column ventilation systems for storage are already present on the Ukrainian market. Martin Lishman is entering the market in partnership with a local partner — Agrobudivelnyi Alliance «Astra».
The company considers the low investment required to implement the system to be one of its advantages. This is important in today’s conditions, when a small producer may struggle to secure cheap financing.
«Over 40 years we’ve gained experience, and we offer it in the form of solutions that help our clients avoid mistakes when setting up their own grain store. We sell these systems in Britain, Germany, France, Romania, the Czech Republic, and Sweden. European buyers, for whom grain quality is very important, will start looking toward Ukraine, expecting high quality»,— Lishman states.
