sustainable phosphorus management in europe - ciwem conference london 27-09-2016

CIWEM London 27th September 2016 - 1

www.phosphorusplatform.eu

Sustainable phosphorus management in Europe Chris Thornton - European Sustainable Phosphorous Platform

• [email protected] • www.phosphorusplatform.eu @phosphorusfacts

http://www.phosphorusplatform.eu/

mailto:[email protected]


https://twitter.com/phosphorusfacts



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

water & waste industries, mineral and organic fertilisers, chemicals, P-recycling products and processes …

• Share vision for sustainable phosphorus in Europe • Dialogue & network expertise and experience • Build awareness • Assess and propose policy & regulatory developments • Disseminate innovation, business cases, value chains




Phosphorus: Why action is needed now




Phosphorus: essential, non substitutable, non renewable




www.aguiaresources.com.au

Linked to world food security and price instability Without P-rock we could feed maybe 1/5 of the world population? Adapted from Dawson et al., Food Policy 2011: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/journal/03069192

Sustainable livestock production: 50g meat/person/week Greenpeace 2013: http://www.greenpeace.org/international/en/publications/Campaign-reports/Agriculture/Ecological-Livestock


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

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

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

http://www.greenpeace.org/international/en/publications/Campaign-reports/Agriculture/Ecological-Livestock/



P in industry and chemistry: - other strategic uses www.oecd.org/dataoecd/12/35/46084613.pdf http://www.ctci.org.tw/public/Attachment/1112911352971.pdf


http://www.oecd.org/dataoecd/12/35/46084613.pdf

http://www.ctci.org.tw/public/Attachment/1112911352971.pdf



http://www.stockholmresilience.org

Eutrophication P is biggest cause of (non morphological) failure to achieve EU Water Framework Directive objectives

Planetary boundaries 2.0 (Jan 2015)

Scope Newsletter n°113 http://www.phosphorusplatform.eu/images/scope/ScopeNewsletter_113.pdf


http://www.stockholmresilience.org/

http://www.stockholmresilience.org/

http://www.phosphorusplatform.eu/images/scope/ScopeNewsletter_113.pdf





European policy Changing context

http://ec.europa.eu/environment/natres/phosphorus.htm

http://ec.europa.eu/environment/archives/greenweek2014/05062014-8-4.html


http://ec.europa.eu/environment/natres/phosphorus.htm











2014 Phosphate rock added to EU list of Critical Raw Materials

http://europa.eu/rapid/press-release_MEMO-14-377_en.htm













2015 EU Circular Economy Package In public consultation: 30% of respondents identified bio-nutrients

as “materials the EU should target first” (Q5,3) Overall, 54% cited bio-nutrients or phosphorus

(all questions)

Scope Newsletter n°118 http://www.phosphorusplatform.eu/images/scope/ScopeNewsletter%20118.pdf


http://www.phosphorusplatform.eu/images/scope/ScopeNewsletter%20118.pdf




National policies Switzerland: obligatory P-recovery from sewage sludge and animal waste ash (or separate storage pending recovery) Sweden: proposal to oblige 40% recycling of P and 10% of N (including via agricultural valorisation of sewage biosolids) Germany: political commitment to make P-recovery obligatory in (larger) sewage works

Scope Newsletter n°118 http://www.phosphorusplatform.eu/images/scope/

ScopeNewsletter%20118.pdf


https://www.news.admin.ch/index.html?lang=fr






March 2016 EU Fertilisers Regulation - Fertilisers, soil amendments, etc - EU criteria for composts, digestates, food industry wastes, animal by-products - Sewage biosolids excluded - Current in Council - Parliament decision process - STRUBIAS underway: struvite, ashes, biochars - Many issues remaining www.phosphorusplatform.eu/regulatory

http://ec.europa.eu/DocsRoom/documents/15949


http://www.phosphorusplatform.eu/regulatory





Other initiatives CEN: standards for secondary raw materials, circular economy ISO 275 Sludge recovery, recycling, treatment and disposal - WG4 ‘Land application of biosolids’ currently out for consultation North Sea Resources Roundabout: - UK, France, Netherlands, Flanders - struvite, composts EIP-AGRI Focus Group on nutrient recycling REACH (chemical regulation) - Art 2(7)d “recovered substances” ? - applicability to digestates, other organic fertilisers ? BAT BREFs (Industrial Emissions Directive): - pig & poultry production, proposed “Resource Efficiency” BREF BEMPs: EMAS (Eco-Management and Audit Scheme) “agriculture” EC / EIB Investment Fund: nutrient recycling call




Success stories Businesses

already making it happen

Fertikal Flanders - Scope Newsletter n°118 http://www.phosphorusplatform.eu/images/scope/ScopeNewsletter%20118.pdf

NuReSys - Scope Newsletter n°115 http://www.phosphorusplatform.eu/images/scope/scopenewsletter115.pdf




http://www.phosphorusplatform.eu/images/scope/scopenewsletter115.pdf





Phosphorus recycling A long history




P-recycling inputs Livestock manures Wastewater treatment Food wastes Meat & Bone Meal Ash Agro-industry, industrial Biofuels, biomaterials




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


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



Success story: Thames Water – Ostara Pearl® • Slough municipal wastewater treatment plant, UK • 150 tonnes Crystal Green® fertiliser / year • High quality slow release fertiliser www.ostara.com

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


http://www.ostara.com/

http://www.ostara.com






Success story: Timac: struvite as maize starter fertiliser • NuReSys Recovered struvite • 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: Recophos – ICL • Electrothermal production

of white phosphorus (P4) from sewage sludge / ashes

• High-value raw material for chemicals: fire safety, electronics, …

• Recophos FP7 pilot project • Technology acquired by ICL March 2016 www.icl-group.com http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/icl---next-step-towardssustainable-innovation-571973381.html


http://www.icl-group.com/

http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/icl---next-step-towardssustainable-innovation-571973381.html

http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/icl---next-step-towardssustainable-innovation-571973381.html



Success story: Ecophos P-recycling from sewage sludge • 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 SCOPE Newsletter 111 http://www.phosphorusplatform.eu/images/download/ScopeNewsletter_111_special_ESPC2.pdf and www.ecophos.com


http://www.phosphorusplatform.eu/images/download/ScopeNewsletter_111_special_ESPC2.pdf

http://www.ecophos.com/



Success story: Polonite filter beds Natural calcium silicate Binds P and reduces pathogens P-enriched = fertiliser Use in farm drainage ditches, manure, septic tank discharge, sewage treatment EcoFiltration AB http://ecofiltration.se/

PhosphoReduc LLC http://phosphoreduc.org/


http://ecofiltration.se/

http://phosphoreduc.org/



Success story: REVAQ sewage treatment Certification • > 50% Sweden’s sewage goes to REVAQ Certified sewage

works • Sludge digestate quality, monitoring,

information transparency criteria • 3000 t/year phosphorus recycled to agriculture http://www.iea-biogas.net/case-studies.html?file=files/daten-redaktion/download/case-studies/REVAQ_CAse_study_A4_1.pdf


http://www.iea-biogas.net/case-studies.html?file=files/daten-redaktion/download/case-studies/REVAQ_CAse_study_A4_1.pdf



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

ESPP eNews n°2 July 2016 http://www.phosphorusplatform.eu/images/download/ESPP-

eNews-002-July-2016.pdf


http://www.phosphorusplatform.eu/images/download/ESPP-eNews-002-July-2016.pdf












Success story: Friesland Campina milk cooperative, NL • Biogas production and P-recovery from manure • Bonus/malus in milk purchase prices • Funding support for farmers’

manure treatment investments

www.frieslandcampina.com


http://www.frieslandcampina.com/



Success story: ICL fertilisers Amsterdam & Ludwigshaven • Use of secondary materials

in fertiliser production: - meat and bone meal ash - struvite

• Objective: 100% by 2025 • Pilot testing successful • Industrial installations

(storage, handling) planned www.icl-group.com







Sustainable phosphorus management in Europe Chris Thornton - European Sustainable Phosphorous Platform

• [email protected] • www.phosphorusplatform.eu @phosphorusfacts


mailto:[email protected]





sustainable phosphorus management in europe - ciwem conference london 27-09-2016

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