• Deutsch
  • English
Logo Bundesministerium für Forschung, Technologie und Raumfahrt
  • Deutsch
  • English
  • Deutsch
  • English
  • Deutsch
  • English

Category: Aktuelles

RePhoR filming continues: SATELLITE in Hannover, Hildesheim and Pattensen

RePhoR-Dreharbeiten gehen weiter: SATELLITE in Hannover, Hildesheim and Pattensen

Interview with Prof. Stefan Köster. © Hupp-Dobusch
Interview with Prof. Stefan Köster. © Hupp-Dobusch
Main building of Leibniz University Hannover. © FiW e. V.
Main building of Leibniz University Hannover. © FiW e. V.
Impressions from the shoot at the Hildesheim sewage treatment plant. © FiW e. V.
Impressions from the shoot at the Hildesheim sewage treatment plant. © FiW e. V.
Impressions from the shoot at the Hildesheim sewage treatment plant. © FiW e. V.
Impressions from the shoot at the Hildesheim sewage treatment plant. © FiW e. V.

The next RePhoR filming continues: this time at the SATTELITE joint project in Hildesheim and Nienburg. After the last two filming dates at DreiSATS and P-Net, we were able to continue together with the team from Hupp-Dobusch in Lower Saxony. Together with the coordinator from ISAH Leibniz Universität Hannover we visited the LUH test facility and the semi-technical test facility. Prof. Stefan Köster answered our questions in front of the camera about the aims of the project, while Dr.-Ing. Erwin Voß, CEO of Stadtentwässerung Hildesheim, and Dr.-Ing. Jens Manthey, Managing Director of KNRN, provided insights into the further processes on site in Hildesheim. The filming was prepared and accompanied by Dr.-Ing. Maike Beier, coordinator of the SATELLITE project, Johannes Reiter and Torben Martens from ISAH and Miriam Müller from SeHi. A big thank you to the entire team for a great day of filming!

As part of the BMBF funding programme RePhoR (Regional Phosphorus Recycling), the TransPhoR project is producing a total of seven short films about the joint projects. The films provide a lively insight into the different approaches of the projects.

The Satellite project offers a concept for the implementation of a comprehensive intermunicipal network for the joint planning and management of plants in regional centres (treatment plants with more than 50,000 inhabitants) and their satellites (treatment plants with less than 50,000 inhabitants) for regions with a strong agricultural character. In addition to the treatment of sewage sludge, the aim is also to integrate relevant agricultural nutrient sources (liquid manure, biogas plants). The project is coordinated by the ISAH at the Leibniz University of Hannover and is carried out together with the partner institutions BIORESTEC, Göttinger Entwässerungsbetriebe, Kommunale Nährstoffrückgewinnung Niedersachsen GmbH, Kreisverband für Wasserwirtschaft Nienburg, Landwirtschaftskammer Niedersachsen, PARFORCE GmbH, Raiffeisen Agil Leese eG, R-E-Pro Ingenieurbüro Dr Sabrina Breitenkam, SF-Soepenberg GmbH, Stadtentwässerung Hildesheim and the town of Pattensen.

More information can be found on the RePhoR homepage at https://www.bmbf-rephor.de/en/joint-projects/satellite/ or on the project homepage https://satellite-rephor.de/index.php

Struvite precipitation as an attractive option for phosphorus recovery – short report from a P-Net event

Struvite precipitation as an attractive option for phosphorus recovery - short report from a P-Net event

© ISOE

On February 22, the possibilities of P recovery via struvite precipitation were discussed and classified at an event in Braunschweig. The event entitled “Struvite precipitation as an attractive variant of phosphorus recovery – an offer to exchange process engineering experience” was organized by the research association “P-Net – Regional Network for Resource Efficient Phosphorus Management”.

At the event, it became clear that the advantages of this phosphorus extraction must be made more visible; there are several providers of processes that are almost ready for the market. Struvite fertilizer is also a valuable product for agriculture. In addition, there is still a lot of work to be done by the players: The production volume, for example, has so far been rather small, and wastewater treatment plants would have to adapt their process technology and make investments.

The exchange in Braunschweig helped to discuss the developments and open questions and to drive the research work forward. If you are interested in details and an exchange on the topic, please contact pnet@isoe.de.

You can also find more information on P-Net at https://www.bmbf-rephor.de/en/joint-projects/p-net/.

German Phosphorus Platform DPP e. V. publishes new policy memorandum on phosphorus recovery

German Phosphorus Platform DPP e. V. publishes new policy memorandum on phosphorus recovery

The German Phosphorus Platform DPP e. V. has published a policy memorandum on phosphorus recovery. It analyzes and evaluates how Germany intends to recover phosphorus from sewage sludge by 2029 in order to make the use of resources more sustainable.

The German Phosphorus Platform DPP e. V. recently published its policy memorandum on phosphorus recovery 2023/24. This memorandum provides a thorough analysis of the pressing issues and presents concrete recommendations for action to enable phosphorus recovery from sewage sludge by 2029. By clearly identifying obstacles and recommending solutions, the DPP provides valuable insights for policy makers, industry stakeholders and the public.

A central concern of the memorandum is the link between recovery and use of phosphorus to ensure an efficient economic cycle. Issues such as the Fertilizer Ordinance and the status of waste in the Closed Substance Cycle Waste Management Act are addressed in order to improve the prospects of implementation.

The German Phosphorus Platform DPP e .V. sees the policy memorandum as a starting point for further dialog with various interest groups along the value chain. It offers itself as a constructive platform for discussing the theses and recommendations set out in the memorandum in an interdisciplinary and cross-sectoral manner.

Further information and details on the DPP’s recommendations can be found on the website of the German Phosphorus Platform DPP e. V.: https://www.deutsche-phosphor-plattform.de/pressemitteilung-politikmemorandum-zur-phosphor-rueckgewinnung-2023-24-der-deutschen-phoshor-plattform-dpp-e-v/

RePhoR filming continues: P-Net in Brunswick

RePhoR filming continues: P-Net in Brunswick

P-Net project coordinator Dr. Thomas Dockhorn and Andreas Kolb from TU Brunswick © FiW e. V.
P-Net project coordinator Dr. Thomas Dockhorn and Andreas Kolb from TU Brunswick © FiW e. V.
On location: Stefanie Meyer from Stadtentwässerung Braunschweig, Andreas Kolb and Prof. Thomas Dockhorn from TU Brunswick as well as the production team of Hupp-Dobusch and Sophia Schüller (FiW e. V.) from the accompanying project TransPhoR. © Hupp-Dobusch
On location: Stefanie Meyer from Stadtentwässerung Braunschweig, Andreas Kolb and Prof. Thomas Dockhorn from TU Brunswick as well as the production team of Hupp-Dobusch and Sophia Schüller (FiW e. V.) from the accompanying project TransPhoR. © Hupp-Dobusch

RePhoR filming continues: this time at the P-Net joint project in Brunswick. After the great kick-off shoot last December at DreiSATS, we were able to continue last week together with the team from Hupp-Dobusch at the Steinhof sewage treatment plant in Brunswick. Together with the coordinator, the ISWW of the TU Braunschweig, and the Stadtentwässerung Braunschweig GmbH, the recordings took place last Tuesday in strong winds, including breakneck drone flights. The P-Net project is coordinated by the TU Brunswick. We would like to thank them for their great and professional cooperation!

As part of the BMBF funding measure RePhoR (Regional Phosphorus Recycling), the TransPhoR transfer project is producing a total of seven short films about the joint projects. The films provide a lively insight into the different approaches of the projects.

In recent years, processes that produce crystalline phosphorus products by means of precipitation and crystallization have become established in the large-scale implementation of phosphorus recovery. P-Net is researching the unresolved issues of this technology in order to make it fit for the entry into force of the amended Sewage Sludge Ordinance. The advantages of these plants in fertilizer production are to be preserved and made more widely usable. The focus is on the establishment of a regional network for the recycling of phosphorus to strengthen this technology track (“Struvite track”). The project is coordinated by the ISWW of the TU Brunswickand is being carried out together with the partner institutions ISOE – Institute for Social-Ecological Research, Julius Kühn Institute (JKI), Abwasserverband Braunschweig (AVB), Stadtentwässerung Braunschweig GmbH (SE|BS), Abwasser- und Straßenreinigungsbetrieb Stadt Gifhorn (ASG), PFI-Planungsgemeinschaft GmbH & Co. KG and SF-Soepenberg GmbH.

More information can be found on the RePhoR homepage at https://www.bmbf-rephor.de/en/joint-projects/p-net/ or on the project homepage https://p-net.tech/.

The 101st Conference of Environment Ministers has called for prompt decisions on phosphorus recycling

The 101st Conference of Environment Ministers has called for prompt decisions on phosphorus recycling

The 101st Conference of Environment Ministers was held in Münster in November. The federal states are urging for increased funding for nature conservation and climate protection.

The Federal Constitutional Court’s ruling has prompted the federal states to urge the government to swiftly create a federal budget for 2024 that complies with the constitution. Additionally, there were concerns raised about potential cuts to nature conservation and climate protection.

The Sewage Sludge Ordinance’s requirement for phosphorus recovery by 2029 was also reaffirmed, with an emphasis on sustainable management, as phosphorus remains a critical raw material. Association President Kurth emphasised the need for dialogue between the federal government, federal states, and industry to address current challenges. Politicians are under great pressure to make quick decisions.

The association president praised the development of technologies in the field of phosphorus recycling.

Read more at https://www.umwelt.nrw.de/presse/detail/ergebnisse-der-101-umweltministerkonferenz-1701431976

Filming started for the short films of the RePhoR projects

Dreharbeiten für die Kurzfilme der RePhoR-Projekte gestartet

Das Drehteam von Hupp-Dobusch, Sophia Schüller (FiW e. V.) vom Begleitvorhaben TransPhoR sowie das Projektteam von VKD von der Pilotanlage in Markranstädt. © Hupp-Dobusch
The filming team from Hupp-Dobusch, Sophia Schüller (FiW e. V.) from the TransPhoR accompanying project and the VKD project team from the pilot plant in Markranstädt. © Hupp-Dobuschnik
Impressionen vom Dreh mit Drohnen in Magdeburg bei Carbotech. © FiW e. V.
Impressions from the shoot with drones in Magdeburg at Carbotech © FiW e. V.
Impressionen vom Dreh mit Drohnen in Magdeburg bei Carbotech. © FiW e. V.
Impressions from the shoot with drones in Magdeburg at Carbotech © FiW e. V.
Impressionen vom Dreh in Markranstädt. © FiW e. V.
Impressions from the shoot in Markranstädt © FiW e. V.
DreiSATS-Projektleiterin Claudyn Kidszun (Veolia Klärschlammverwertung Deutschland GmbH) erläutert die Hin-tergründe des Projekts. © Hupp-Dousch
DreiSATS project manager Claudyn Kidszun (Veolia Klärschlammverwertung Deutschland GmbH) explains the background to the project. © Hupp-Dousch

The accompanying project TransPhoR, coordinated by FiW, is producing a total of seven short films for the funded joint projects as part of the BMBF funding measure Regional Phosphorus Recycling (RePhoR). The DreiSATS project kicked things off on December 12 in Markranstädt and Magdeburg.

Public relations work is also becoming increasingly relevant in research projects. Particularly in the case of a topic that appears inaccessible at first glance, such as phosphorus recycling, which is still far from reaching the general public, it requires the use of a wide variety of media to generate enthusiasm for the project content – and thus also to justify the funding to the public. As a scientific support and transfer project, TransPhoR sees it as its task to strengthen communication between various stakeholders. To this end, a short film was produced in the summer with the background to the funding measure. In the coming months, short films will also be produced for the individual collaborative projects to provide an insight into the objectives and the outlook beyond the project duration.

The DreiSATS project made the start. On 12.12.23, our employee Sophia Schüller (TransPhoR) and the film crew from Hupp-Dobusch were able to visit the project’s test facility at Veolia Klärschlammverwertung Deutschland GmbH (VKD) in Markranstädt and the pulverized fuel furnace at Carbotechnik in Magdeburg. Project coordinator Claudyn Kidszun (VKD) and her team, Peter Schöfmann from Carbotechnik and Dr. Marc Lincke from Fraunhofer IKTS accompanied the filming of the project with the utmost commitment. We would like to thank them for their great and professional cooperation!

 

KlimaPhoNds takes 2nd place at the Göttingen Region Innovation Award

KlimaPhoNds takes 2nd place at the Göttingen Region Innovation Award

Mr. Hagenow (project partner EBA - head of Northeim wastewater treatment plant) and Prof. Dr.-Ing. Michael Sievers. © WRG Wirtschaftsförderungen Region Göttingen GmbH

The RePhoR project came second out of more than 30 competitors in the “Companies with more than 20 employees” category of this year’s Göttingen Region Innovation Award.

The Göttingen Region Innovation Award has been presented by the Wirtschaftsförderung Region Göttingen (WRG) since 2003 in order to publicize and promote the region’s innovation potential. Since then, innovations from companies and start-ups have been honored annually with total prizes of 30,000 euros. In 2023, the city of Göttingen itself was an official cooperation partner of the competition for the first time.

The award ceremony took place on November 21 at the Deutsches Theater Göttingen as a festive gala.

KlimaPhoNds aims to recover recyclable materials at wastewater treatment plants in a climate-friendly and resource-saving way. The focus is on the recovery of the critical raw material phosphorus, but nitrogen and magnesium are also to be returned to the material cycle using the developed process. Phosphorus is recovered as magnesium ammonium phosphate (MAP) at the wastewater treatment plant, which is refined into high-quality phosphoric acid, ammonia water and magnesium chloride. In addition, the direct use of MAP as a recycling fertilizer is being investigated. The low-phosphate sewage sludge is dried using almost heat-neutral fluidized bed evaporation drying and can then be used as an energy source or as a material in the cement industry. The process was developed for sewage treatment plants with at least partial bio-P elimination; complete bio-P elimination is not absolutely necessary. The large-scale process demonstration will take place in full flow at the Northeim wastewater treatment plant. After the plant is expected to be commissioned in summer 2024, a one-year operating phase will demonstrate for the first time that phosphorus can be recovered economically and in compliance with the prescribed limit value at wastewater treatment plants.

You can find more information about the innovation prize at the following link.

Process engineering exchange on struvite precipitation

Process engineering exchange on struvite precipitation

© ISWW

The research project P-Net is planning the event “Struvite precipitation as an attractive variant of phosphorus recovery – An offer to exchange process engineering experience” on Thursday, February 22, 2024 at the Steinhof sewage treatment plant near Braunschweig.

With this event, the project P-Net would like to focus on the various possibilities of phosphorus digestion and its subsequent recovery via precipitation. Recently, there have been major steps in process engineering development in this area. These will be examined, classified and discussed together. In a joint discussion, we will discuss how these developments can be further supported and promoted with regard to process engineering issues, the products and markets concerned and also through joint lobbying and networking.

Registration is closed. Please find the program here. Contact information is pnet@isoe.de.

RePhoR at the 9th P-RÜCK congress

RePhoR at the 9th P-RÜCK congress

From November 22–23, 2023, the DWA-Landesverband Baden-Württemberg held the 9th congress “Phosphorus – A critical raw material with a future” in Stuttgart. The thematically diverse event addressed various aspects of phosphorus recycling on topics such as recycling management, strategies and concepts or phosphorus recovery processes. Dr. Roland Meyer presented the sustainability aspect of phosphorus recycling. The presentation specifically addressed the cross-cutting topic 2 “Sustainability assessment” of the BMBF funding measure RePhoR. RePhoR was already mentioned at the beginning of the congress in an introductory speech by Prof. Pinnekamp, which made it possible to introduce the project to a broad specialist audience.

© Ilona Scheffbuch

6th RePhoR steering committee meeting in Frankfurt a. M.

6th RePhoR steering committee meeting in Frankfurt a. M.

© Infraserv GmbH & Co. Höchst KG

On 09.11.23, the RePhoR steering committee meeting took place on the grounds of Industriepark Höchst in Frankfurt am Main. With the kind permission of the RePhoR joint project RePhoRM and the joint partner Infraserv Höchst, the group met in the old control room on the industrial site. Part of the day’s program included a tour of the RePhoRM pilot plant and Infraserv Höchst’s sewage sludge incineration plant.

The steering committee is used for cross-project networking between the research projects and for discussing overarching issues. Among other things, cross-cutting topics are defined on which all interested joint projects work together during the course of the funding measure, e. g. in workshops. In addition, joint activities are planned for the utilization and practical implementation of the project results and for public relations work. The steering committee is made up of the coordinators of the joint projects, the networking project and experts, e.g. from industry, associations, authorities and government departments. Representatives of the BMBF and the project sponsor also take part in the steering committee meetings, which take place up to every six months.