BioEcoSIM

An innovative bio-economy solution to valorise livestock manure into a range of stabilised soil improving materials for environmental sustainability and economic benefit for European agriculture

In the EU-funded project BioEcoSIM, involving 15 partners from four European countries, pig manure is used as a valuable source of raw material. Coordinated by the Fraunhofer IGB, the project aims to convert the constituents of the slurry into various fertilizers: biochar as a phosphorous-rich organic soil improver as well as mineral fertilizers such as ammonium sulphate, calcium phosphate and magnesium ammonium phosphate (struvite). The products can be mixed to a nutrient composition depending on the plant species and soil conditions, and used as easy-to-dose fertilizers for agricultural purposes. This not only prevents overfertilization but also reduces the need for synthetic nitrogen fertilizers, the production of which is highly energy-intensive. The overall process makes use of energy-efficient technologies and works on the principle of circular economy.

BioEcoSIM.

Results

Challenge and objective

Liquid manure consists of 90 percent water. Valuable plant nutrients, especially nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium, and indigestible feed residues such as plant fibers are further components.

The aim of the EU-funded BioEcoSIM project coordinated by Fraunhofer IGB was therefore to process the components of liquid manure as secondary raw materials as completely as possible into mineral fertilizers and organic soil conditioners, and to combine the process steps in a demonstration plant on a pilot scale. This turns liquid manure waste into a valuable raw material that can close the natural nutrient cycle.

BioEcoSIM procedure.
BioEcoSIM procedure.
Fertilizers
© Fraunhofer IGB
With the BioEcoSim process, livestock manure can be converted into valuable phosphorus fertilizers (rear), nitrogen fertilizers (right) and soil conditioners (front).

Process development

Various process steps are necessary for the treatment of liquid manure, which have been integrated as separate modules into a pilot plant.

 

Pre-treatment and solid-liquid separation

In a first step, the aqueous liquid manure is pre-treated so that phosphorus is completely dissolved and separated into a solid and a liquid phase using a multi-stage filtration.

 

Thermal treatment of the solids

The dewatered solid phase is dried using an energy-efficient process developed at Fraunhofer IGB. The dried organic components can optionally be torrefied using this process at approx. 250 °C or converted into biochar via a pyrolysis step at 450 °C.

 

Phosphate precipitation and ammonium recovery

The liquid fraction contains the dissolved inorganic nutrients. In a reactor, phosphorus is first recovered and precipitated as calcium phosphate, magnesium phosphate and magnesium ammonium phosphate crystals, which are then filtered off.

Nitrogen is recovered in a second step. For this, the aqueous fraction is separated as ammonium sulfate by means of membrane adsorption and crystallized.

 

What remains is a water that contains only traces of phosphorus and nitrogen, but is rich in potassium – and can be optimally used for irrigation.

Integration of processes into a pilot plant 

The processes developed in the BioEcoSIM project for the treatment and processing of liquid manure were implemented as separate modules and integrated into a semi-industrial plant on site in Kupferzell at a potential user, an agricultural business with animal husbandry. The plant processed around 50 kilograms of pig slurry per hour into about 500 grams of mineral phosphate fertilizer (a mixture of calcium phosphate, magnesium ammonium phosphate and magnesium phosphate), 500 grams of mineral nitrogen fertilizer (pure ammonium sulfate) and 900 grams of organic biochar (or 4.5 kilograms of organic soil improvers).

Project information

Project title

BioEcoSIM – An innovative bio-economy solution to valorise livestock manure into a range of stabilised soil improving materials for environmental sustainability and economic benefit for European agriculture

 

Project duration

October 1, 2012 – September 30, 2016

 

Coordinated by

  • Fraunhofer IGB

 

Project partners

  • Fraunhofer IGB (Germany)
  • Stichting Dienst Landbouwkundig Onderzoek (Netherlands)
  • Centre de Recerca i Innovació de Catalunya, SA (Spain)
  • Universität Hohenheim (Germany)
  • ITAGRA - Centro Tecnologico Agrario y Agroalimentario Asociacion (Spain)
  • Acondicionamiento Tarrasense Associacion Centro Tecnológico Leitat (Spain)
  • Biocompostajes Españoles SL (Spain)
  • DOFCO BV (Netherlands)
  • Yflow Sistemas Y desarroloos SL (Spain)
  • Initial Projects Limited (United Kingdom)
  • Agro Energie Hohenlohe GmbH&Co (Germany)
  • ASB Grunland Helmut Aurenz GmbH (Germany)
  • Heckmann Maschinenbau und Verfahrenstechnik GmbH (Germany)
  • OWS Verwertungsmanagement GmbH (Germany)

Funding

The research leading to these results has received funding from the European Union's Seventh Framework Programme (FP7/2007-2013) under grant agreement n° 308637.

flag eu