Addressing nutrient pollution and increasing fertilizer prices through innovative waste stream recovery solutions (NENUPHAR)

NENUPHAR approaches the issues of agriculture sustainability, nutrient pollution and increasing fertilizer pricing by innovative nutrient recovery from waste stream, promising a competitive, cleaner future for soil, air, and water systems. The project addresses these challenges by leveraging the recovery of nitrogen and phosphorous in waste streams and emphasizing the need for engaging key stakeholders.

Three major waste streams – manure, sewage sludges and dairy wastewaters – are in the focus of the project, which aims to introduce methodologies for emission estimation, novel governance models, economic incentives and enabling new technologies. Demonstrations in diverse regions, including the Ebro, Lielupe, and Danube river basins, and replication in insular systems like Cyprus and Bornholm, will showcase direct nutrient recovery potential and lower environmental impacts. The project engages a multi-stakeholder approach with entities representing various affected sectors.

In this manner, NENUPHAR contributes to a healthier circular value chain by nutrient reuse from the European food chain addressing pollution, high nutrient prices and fostering sustainable agriculture.

Steinbeis Europa Zentrum asa project partner supports the project in results exploitation and intellectual property rights management as well as in stakeholder mapping and engagement.

Further Information:

• Project name, acronym: NENUPHAR New governance models to enhance nutrient pollution handling and nutrients recycling
• Funding: European Commission, Horizon Europe
• Funding for all partners: 5.7 Mio €
• Participating countries: Belgium, Cyprus, Denmark, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Slovakia, Spain
• Project duration: 11/2023 – 04/2027