Project: Closing nutrient cycles from municipal and industrial waste water (KNAP)

Challenge and solution

The nutrient cycles in the Netherlands are far away from being closed. One of the ‘biggest leaks’ in the system are the municipal and industrial waste water systems. Although there are ambitions and goals been set in the last 10 years, it turns out that in practice little is being recovered and reused. The further development of systems in which nutrients are being brought back into the (food)cycle are experiencing various barriers at the intersection of technology, knowledge, legislation, collaboration and financial challenges.

Therefore, this project focuses on the integrated closure of the nutrient cycles of macronutrients nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), and potassium (K), and where appropriate, other nutrients, from the municipal and industrial wastewater chain. The goal is to elevate the recovery and reuse of nutrients from wastewater to a higher level so that water boards, fertilizer producers and traders, agriculture, the agri-food industry, and other relevant parties can actually close nutrient loops. The recovered nutrients could potentially address the increasing demand for nutrients due to current discussions on livestock farming regarding herd size, manure production, and derogations. The overall goal of the project is to develop applied knowledge and expertise to safely and sustainably apply wastewater products in a circular agriculture-food-sanitation system.