Pilot 2 / Value Chain 2: Nutrients for Agriculture

Sewage sludge and other organic waste streams, including aquaculture waste, food-industry waste and livestock waste, represent nutrient-rich resources. However, without an integrated circular pathway, these materials remain waste-management burdens rather than sources of energy, biochar and biofertiliser.

CSSBoost develops a nutrient recovery value chain where organic waste streams are transported to a treatment hub. Anaerobic digestion is used to produce biogas and energy, while thermochemical treatment of dried sewage sludge and harvested wetland biomass is used to produce biochar and biofertiliser.

The value chain includes mass-balance analysis, identification of co-digestion hubs, BMP testing, energy-balance modelling, thermochemical testing, biochar characterisation, agronomic trials and nutrient mass-balance assessment.

Reduction of fossil-based fertilisers in agriculture: target 5%.

Treatment of nutrient-rich biomass to produce biofertilisers: target 6 million kg/year.

Increase in biogas production through anaerobic co-digestion: target +5–10%.

Biochar characterisation includes yield, moisture, ash, volatile matter, fixed carbon, CHNO composition, pH, electrical conductivity, cation exchange capacity, surface area, particle size distribution, SEM imaging, FTIR spectroscopy, nutrient content and heavy metals.