On March 3, 2026, the final conference of the research project P-Nets took place at the Steinhof wastewater treatment plant in Braunschweig. The event attracted great interest and saw a high number of participants from academia, industry, public administration, and agriculture. In an open and engaging atmosphere, lively discussions and many valuable conversations took place about the future of regional phosphorus recycling.

Following registration and welcome addresses by Dr.-Ing. Franziska Gromadecki (Braunschweig Wastewater Association) and Prof. Dr.-Ing. Thomas Dockhorn (TU Braunschweig, ISWW), the technical program began with a focus on process engineering. Among other topics, the PECO process for resource-efficient phosphorus recycling using struvite was presented, along with experiences from pilot applications at wastewater treatment plants in Braunschweig and Gifhorn. Economic aspects of phosphorus recycling through remobilization and precipitation were also highlighted and subsequently discussed.

The second session focused on products and markets. Contributions addressed the pathway of struvite from wastewater treatment plants to fertilizer, its agronomic evaluation, and issues of branding strategy using the example of the struvite-based fertilizer “Crystallo”. Participants took the opportunity for in-depth professional exchange.

In the afternoon, attention turned to the future: under the title “Phosphorus recovery – quo vadis?”, possible marketing and implementation models for regional phosphorus recycling were presented. A panel discussion with representatives from the Lower Saxony Ministry of the Environment, the regional association, the Chamber of Agriculture, the water sector, and research institutions explored how progress in the region can continue.

The event concluded with closing remarks by Dr.-Ing. Martina Winker (ISOE), followed by a get-together where discussions continued in an informal setting. The final conference clearly demonstrated the strong interest in phosphorus recycling and highlighted the importance of continued exchange among stakeholders for further implementation in the region.

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