recycling nutrients from biowastes - iswa / eesc circular economy and biowastes 14-11-2016

ISWA – EESC Circular Economy and Biowastes, 14th Nov. 2016 - 1

www.phosphorusplatform.eu

Recycling nutrients from biowastesChris Thornton - European Sustainable

Phosphorous Platform• [email protected]

• www.phosphorusplatform.eu @phosphorusfacts

http://www.phosphorusplatform.eu/


mailto:[email protected]


https://twitter.com/phosphorusfacts





Phosphorus:essential, non substitutable,non renewable

Use of phosphate rock www.aguiaresources.com.au



http://www.aguiaresources.com.au/



Phosphate rock is on EU Critical Raw Materials list- Linked to world food security and price instability- Europe > 90% dependent on imports- Geo-political concentration of reserves

Without phosphate fertilisers we could feed around 1/5 of the world populationAdapted from Dawson et al., Food Policy 2011: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/journal/03069192



http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/journal/03069192





Environmental impacts- Eutrophication- Ammonia emissions- Planetary boundaries

Phosphorus is the first cause of EU Water Framework Directive quality failure (other than morphology)

http://www.stockholmresilience.org



http://www.stockholmresilience.org/

http://www.stockholmresilience.org/



Phosphorus recyclingA long history




www.phosphorusplatform.euNew solutions for today’s

world- only 40% of EU sewage now goes to crops- increasing concentration of livestock manures- new potential nutrient recovery feedstocks: food wastes, bio-energy, food processing …





Phosphorus recycling potential in EU-27 [kton P/year] Total Recycled Potential Sewage sludge 297 115 182 Biodegradable solid waste

130 38 92

Meat & bone meal 128 6 122 Total 427-555 153-160 274-

396 Manure recycling = 1 736Mineral fertiliser use = 1 448 Van Dijk & Oenema “Overview of phosphorus flows in wastes in Europe”, 2013, Fertilisers Europe seminar, 6 Feb. 2013.Updated Van Dijk et al. in preparation 9/2014





Phosphorus recycling synergies• Improving sewage treatment (nutrient

removal)• Reducing ammonia emissions• Anaerobic digestion & biogas• Avoiding landfill

http://www.aljazeera.com/programmes/earthrise/2014/12/recycling-phosphorus-2014121693225616272.html










Nutrient recycling products• Refined fertiliser products• Organic fertilisers:

- composts, digestates- dried pelleted bio-wastes

• Mineral concentrates• Industrial chemicals:

- phosphoric acid- P4 (white phosphorus)





Nutrient recycling productsKey = product must correspond to user requirements needs and requirements (quality, equipment, logistics …)





Phosphorus recycling success stories www.magic-dirt.com



http://www.magic-dirt.com/



Success story – 50 M€ Investment:Kanton Zürich• 72 wwtps now deliver

100 000 t/y dewatered sludge to central mono-incinerator- 94% vote “Yes” in local referendum- commissioned 2015- delivers 15 000 t/y ash for P-recycling- 40% operating cost savings by energy efficient dryer

• 3,3 M CHF pilot P-recovery installation under construction- acid P leaching P, solvent extraction phosphoric acid

See SCOPE Newsletter 119 and http://www.awel.zh.ch



http://www.awel.zh.ch/

http://www.awel.zh.ch/



Success story:Waternet Amsterdam West sewage works• AirPrex struvite precipitation• Upstream of sludge digesters• Operational savings:

150 000 € / year• Improved sludge dewatering:

250 000 € / year• Increased methane production• Achievement of 1 mgP/l discharge



14European Sustainable Phosphorus Platform

Success story:NuReSys• SME, Belgium• 8 installations recovering

Phosphorus as struvite• Potato processing, dairy,

pharmaceuticals, municipal waste water





Success story:Timac: struvite as maize starter fertiliser• NuReSys recovered struvite from potato processing• Non-burning, enabling “ultra location” next to roots• Micro-granulation• Ammonium addition for nutrient balance

NuReSys - Scope Newsletter n°121 http://www.phosphorusplatform.eu/images/scope/ScopeNewsletter121.pdf



http://www.phosphorusplatform.eu/images/scope/ScopeNewsletter121.pdf





Success story: COOPERL Brittany pig farmers’ cooperatives• 400 000 t/y manure processed

to organic fertiliser products- 150 000 t composted poultry litter- 150 000 t dried poultry manure- 100 000 t pig manure (1 100 farms)

• Adapted to specific crops and exported to other regions of France

• Positive farmer acceptance• TRAC Emeraude stabling system

- liquid solid separation in stable- reduced ammonia emissions

Supported by EU Investment Planhttp://www.cooperl.com/en/environmental-solutions



http://www.cooperl.com/en/environmental-solutions

http://www.cooperl.com/en/environmental-solutions



Success story:Fertikal, Antwerp• 180 000 t/y (wet weight) manure

processed to organic fertilisers:• solid/liquid separation

dried, pelletised• For agriculture, horticulture• Distributed

to 25 countries worldwidewww.fertikal.be



http://www.fertikal.be/



Success story:KOTO AlgaeBioGas, Llubljana• 13 000 t/y household and industry food waste

converted to biogas• 30 m2 pilot algae pond fed with digestate• Algae used for energy production,

fertilisers or bioplastics





Success story:SARIA UK – Kalfos• Bioenergy and P-fertiliser (ash)

from combustion of animal by-products (MBM)

• Authorised for arable and grazing land• 12 000 tonnes/yearhttp://www.saria.co.uk/



http://www.saria.co.uk/



http://kalfos.co.uk/

20European Sustainable Phosphorus Platform

Success story:Ecophos P-recycling from sewage sludge ash• Pilot plant operational Varna, Bulgaria• Produce DCP (Di Calcium Phosphate) for fertilisers,

animal feed• Full-scale plant under construction Dunkerque, France

capacity: 200 000 t/y DCP from low grade P-rock and ash

• Contract to treat 60 000 t/y ash from Netherlands (SNB – HVC Groep) = 4 000 t/y P

See SCOPE Newsletter 111 and www.ecophos.com

http://www.ecophos.com/





ESPP: a coalition for action• Bring together industry, R&D, authorities,

stakeholders water & waste industries, mineral and organic fertilisers, chemicals, P-recycling technology suppliers, national & regional governments, knowledge institutes …

• Build awareness and share a vision for sustainable phosphorus in Europe

• Dialogue & network expertise and experience• Assess and propose policy & regulatory

developments• Disseminate innovation, business cases,

value chains





Recycling nutrients from biowastesChris Thornton - European Sustainable

Phosphorous Platform• [email protected]

• www.phosphorusplatform.eu @phosphorusfacts



mailto:[email protected]



