Nick Sissoev’s family farm near Margaret River has long followed a regenerative path, building soil health, lowering inputs and improving landscape function. Rising diesel costs prompted Nick to look for a practical way to reduce fuel use and emissions without replacing existing machinery. Working with local technology developer Dean Shipp from Hy-Boost Technology, the farm retrofitted a diesel truck with one of their systems, avoiding the high capital costs of a new engine, but still delivering his desired outcomes. This aligned naturally with the broader ethos of lower-impact farming.
About: 300-acre beef cattle farm
Location: Jindong, north of Margaret River, WA
This case study is part of a series supported by the NSW Decarbonisation Innovation Hub’s Land and Primary Industries Network, in partnership with Southern Cross University.
Listen to the full podcast (below).
The challenges
Switching from intensive horticulture (vineyards) to beef cattle: The family made a conscious decision to adopt regenerative agriculture practices to improve soil health and function.
Shifting regional land use: Neighbouring properties are being bought by lifestyle owners.
Increasing fuel prices: Additional financial pressure on farm operations.
Initial challenges during development of Hy-Boost Technology: Dean Shipp says through extensive trial and error, learning from existing research and technical papers, and adapting solutions for remote conditions has helped weed out early “bugs”.
The turning point
For Nick Sissoev and his family, farming regeneratively has always been important.
“When my dad first bought the farm, we would cover crop and we would work back green manure into the soil, which was a form of carbon capture, and that was helping the microbes and rhizobia and everything.
“We’ve always been on that route to lower the fertiliser inputs and increase the natural products that we use.”
But with diesel costs continuing to rise, Nick wanted to explore other options to improve the farm’s financial operations, while also contributing to on-farm decarbonisation.
That’s when he was introduced to Dean Shipp from Hy-Boost Technology.
His company’s on-demand “enrichment systems” can be fitted to any diesel engine.
On-farm changes
Retrofitted a Hy-Boost system on a 12-tonne Iveco Cursor 10 truck: The goal was to reduce emissions, cut fuel use and deliver power improvements. Hy-Boost mechanics installed the system – essentially a small toolbox and water tank – in one day.
“As a farmer, you don’t want to have to go buy new engines. It’s better if you can retrofit your engine and you get those emission results and get the fuel benefits, but you don’t have the high capital outlay to go purchase new engines. You retrofit it and away you go,” Nick said.
Future plans: “We have an irrigation licence and we want to put it into the pasture use, and then we’ll have a diesel engine driving our bore and driving our irrigation system. I wouldn’t hesitate in putting a Hy-Boost system onto that diesel engine.”
How does it work?
“Effectively what we do is we generate small amounts of hydrogen on board. We do not store it. We do not compress it,” Dean said.
“As we generate it, we push this into the air intake for the engine, and that small amount of hydrogen
burns the diesel more efficiently and effectively. By doing that, we increase the efficiency of the
engine, reduce fuel consumption and reduce emissions.”
Impacts
Reduced diesel use, leading to reduced costs: From the very first tank of diesel after the system was installed, Nick noticed a change. “We got extra kilometres out of that tank and it was at least 25-30 per cent increase on distance we were able to travel.”
Reduced emissions from the truck: 80 per cent reduction in carbon monoxide and a 46 per cent reduction in the nitrogen oxides as well (independently tested).
Increased efficiency of the truck, leading to improved productivity on-farm: Nick said he noticed that, even fully loaded, the truck still had plenty of power up and down hills.
Improved landscape function through continued use of regenerative agriculture practices: Healthier soils and reduced weed and insect burden.
This is not about buying new engines. This is about transitioning existing engines to reduce emissions and save fuel. We know that agriculture is under significant pressure… this is one part of the puzzle.