The European FertiCovery project consortium held its kick-off meeting this week in Enschede (Netherlands) to launch its mission to advise policymakers and stakeholders on alternative fertilising products. The aim of the project is to ensure balance nitrogen and phosphorus flows and promote soil health at regional and local scale, in line with the EU’s Soil Strategy for 2030.
The efficacy of nutrient recovery technologies and their agronomic and environmental impacts are currently not fully understood, leaving farmers without clear guidance on their application. In addition, legal barriers add to the uncertainty about which fertiliser products meet regulatory requirements. Another challenge facing the sector is the small production, which leads to higher costs than conventional options. In this situation, there is a need to find innovative solutions that minimise environmental impact and maintain agricultural productivity.
FertiCovery aims to find a solution to this reality. The project will first establish a list of 75 studies of existing facilities converting secondary raw materials into alternative fertiliser products in Europe and worldwide. Partners will describe 25 bio-based fertiliser and nutrient recovery technologies, their feedstock, value chains, products and applications, followed by an assessment of the technical aspects and environmental impacts of the technologies (including energy); an assessment of the composition, health safety and environmental impacts of the associated fertiliser products; and an assessment of feedstock availability, application potential, regulatory framework, costs and social risks arising from the market and replication potential.
A multi-criteria decision analysis report and fact sheets of the 10-15 best available technologies will be circulated with technologies providers, end-users, farmers, industry, environmental organisations, policy makers, civil society and the scientific community.
The CARTIF Circular Economy team that is part of this project will be in charge of:
- Assess the technical and environmental performance of nutrient recovery and recycling technologies.
- Comparison of the environmental and resource efficiency of nutrient recycling and bio-based fertiliser production technologies against conventional nitrogen and phosphorus fertiliser production processes.
- Selection and description of case studies related to existing facilities that convert secondary materials into bio-based fertiliser products.
- Organisation and facilitation of workshops.
- Contribution of their experience gained in previous projects to strengthen the implementation of activities related to nutrient recovery and recycling within the framework of the project, among others.
The involvement of international stakeholders will take place through five workshops and six public forums, including one with stakeholders from across the supply chain.
“Farmers and society can benefit from the circular use of alternative fertilising products recovered from secondary raw materials, as they lead to lower environmental impacts on soil, water, and air quality, biodiversity and climate. FertiCovery will support policy makers and practitioners to remove barriers and promote the application of nutrient recovery and bio-based fertilisers” says Martijn Vis, project coordinator from BTG Biomass Technology Group B.V.
The project started on 1 January 2025 and will run for three years. The consortium brings together eight partners from seven EU countries and is coordinated by BTG Biomass Technology Group BV. The project is funded within the Horizon Europe framework under grant agreement no. 10181936.