FertiCovery to explore BAT for alternative fertilizers

Coordinated by the Netherlands-headed BTG Biomass Technology Group BV, the three-year project comprises seven additional research partners – CARTIF (Spain); National Technical University of Athens (Greece); Università degli Studi di Torino Agroinnova (Italy); Wrocław University of Science and Technology (Poland); European Biogas Association (Belgium); European Compost Network e.V. (Germany); and Greenovate! Europe (Belgium).

The aim of the project is to support policymakers and practitioners in removing barriers and promoting the application of nutrient recovery and bio-based fertilizers, ensuring balanced nitrogen and phosphorus flows, and promoting soil health at regional and local scales, in line with the EU’s Soil Strategy for 2030.

Farmers and society can benefit from the circular use of alternative fertilizing products recovered from secondary raw materials, as they lead to lower environmental impacts on soil, water, air quality, biodiversity, and climate. FertiCovery will support policymakers and practitioners to remove barriers and promote the application of nutrient recovery and bio-based fertilizers, said Martijn Vis, project coordinator from BTG Biomass Technology Group.

Address numerous barriers

There is a lack of comprehensive understanding regarding the efficiency of nutrient recovery technologies, as well as their agronomical and environmental impacts, leaving farmers without clear guidance on their application.

Legal barriers further complicate matters, with uncertainty surrounding which fertilizing products meet regulatory requirements. Moreover, the small-scale production of bio-based fertilizers leads to higher costs compared to conventional options.

Addressing these issues requires innovative solutions that minimize environmental impact while maintaining agricultural productivity.

The FertiCovery project will first establish a longlist of 75 case studies of existing installations converting secondary raw materials into alternative fertilizing products in Europe and worldwide.

Partners will describe 25 nutrient recovery and bio-based fertilizer technologies, their feedstocks, value chains, products, and applications, followed by an assessment of technical aspects and environmental impacts of the technologies (including energy); an assessment of composition, sanitary safety, and environmental impacts of the associated fertilizing products; and an assessment of feedstock availability, potential for upscaling, regulatory framework, costs, and social risks resulting in the market and replication potential.

A multicriteria decision analysis report and datasheets of the 10-15 best available technologies (BAT) will be shared with technology providers, end-users, farmers, industry, environmental organizations, policymakers, civil society, and the scientific community.

The engagement of European and international stakeholders will be conducted through 5 workshops and 6 open forum events, fostering a forum of stakeholders from the whole supply chain.

The FertiCovery project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon Europe research and innovation program under grant agreement No. 101181936.