Dr. Ludwig Hermann, ESPP

1. The European Sustainable Phosphorus Platform
Challenges – Framework – Circular Solutions
Ludwig Hermann
President
30.05.2019
Lisbon, Portugal

2. Agenda
• ESPP in a nutshell
• Global challenges
• Framework: UN-Agreements, policies and regulations
• P & N-recycling
• Conclusions

3. ESPP facts and figures
• Legally established, not-for-profit association
 important for transparency, clarity of decision making, representation
- statutes are public https://www.phosphorusplatform.eu/platform/about-espp
- EU Transparency Register no. 260483415852-40 http://ec.europa.eu/transparencyregister/
• 100% membership funded
 key to credibility, independence
• >40 paying members to date: industries, SMEs, R&D institutes or projects,
city- / regional- / national governments
•  balance between different interests and industries
 in touch with reality (payment = commitment)
May 2019 3Presenting innovative systems using algae for wastewater treatment

4. How ESPP operates
• Decision by consensus
• Mediation rather than advocacy
- enable dialogue between stakeholders
- develop shared proposals for policy
- communicate with regulators
• Communication tools (web-site,
twitter, eNews, Scope, 45 000 contacts
May 2019 4
Example: Joint Statement on the EU Fertilisers Regulation proposal, between EU
federations in the mineral fertilisers, organic fertilisers, soil improvers, digestate,
animal by-products, limiting materials and wastewater industries, 20th November
2017 www.phosphorusplatform.eu/regulatory
Presenting innovative systems using algae for wastewater treatment

5. Agenda
• ESPP in a nutshell
• Global challenges
• Framework: UN-Agreements, policies and regulations
• P & N-recycling
• Conclusions

6. Great acceleration from 1900, particularly from 1960
May 2019 6Source: UNEP, Fischer-Kowalski, M., 2011)Presenting innovative systems using algae for wastewater treatment

7. Great acceleration from 1900, particularly from 1960
May 2019 6Source: UNEP, Fischer-Kowalski, M., 2011)Presenting innovative systems using algae for wastewater treatment
Decoupling achieved

8. Planetary Boundaries (Steffen et al., 2015)
• Abrupt global
environmental change can
no longer be excluded.
• Safe operation within
planetary boundaries
needed
• Transgressing one or more
planetary boundaries may
be catastrophic
May 2019 7Presenting innovative systems using algae for wastewater treatment

9. Priority challenge: nutrient losses and eutrophication
May 2019 8
Source: EEA, 2017
https://www.eea.europa.eu/data-and-maps
Presenting innovative systems using algae for wastewater treatment

10. And still…
• Without mineral phosphate
fertilisers we could feed
maybe 1/5th of the current
world population
Adapted from Dawson et al., Food Policy 2011:
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/journal/03069192
• Without Haber-Bosch
(mineral nitrogen fertilisers)
we could feed only half of the
current world population
Fertilizers Europe / Wageningen University
Presenting innovative systems using algae for wastewater treatmentMay 2019 9

11. Agenda
• ESPP in a nutshell
• Global challenges
• Framework: UN Agreements, policies and regulations
• P & N-recycling
• Conclusions

12. United Nations: Sustainable Development Goals
Transforming our world: the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, adopted by the UN General
Assembly (193 nations) on September 25, 2015
May 2019 11Presenting innovative systems using algae for wastewater treatment

13. United Nations: Sustainable Development Goals
Transforming our world: the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, adopted by the UN General
Assembly (193 nations) on September 25, 2015
May 2019 11Presenting innovative systems using algae for wastewater treatment
UN Environment, UNEA.4/L.16 Resolution (11-15 March 2019):
Sustainable Nitrogen Management

14. Followed by The Paris Agreement (COP21)
195 governments agreed at the 21st Conference of the Parties
of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change
(UNFCCC) on December 12, 2015
• Goal of keeping the increase in global average temperature
to well below 2°C above pre-industrial levels;
• To aim to limit the increase to 1.5°C, since this would
significantly reduce risks and the impacts of climate change;
• On the need for global emissions to peak as soon as
possible, recognizing that this will take longer for developing
countries;
• To undertake rapid reductions thereafter in accordance
with the best available science.
May 2019 12Presenting innovative systems using algae for wastewater treatment

15. European policies driving nutrient recycling
May 2019 13
• 2014 EU Consultative Communication
on Sustainable Use of Phosphorus
• Proposals include:
increasing knowledge and research, P-recycling,
risk of soil contamination by mineral or recycled fertilisers
• see www.phosphorusplatform.eu/scope107
• 2015: EU Circular Economy Package
• Flagship initiative = new EU Fertilisers Regulation
ESPP in action:
In responses to EU public
consultation:
54% of respondents cited bio-
nutrients or phosphorus
Presenting innovative systems using algae for wastewater treatment

16. A CE-marked product must respect all of:
- Annex I PFCs
= Product Function Categories
- Annex II CMCs
= Component Material Categories
- Annex III = Labelling Requirements
- Annex IV = Conformity Assessment Procedure
If it does, End-of-Waste is achieved Europe-wide
May 2019 14Presenting innovative systems using algae for wastewater treatment
Fertilisers Regulation, adopted 27 March 2019 (EP)

17. “STRUBIAS” (Struvite, Biochar and Ash*)
* Now “precipitated phosphate salts & derivates, thermal oxidation materials & derivates and pyrolysis & gasification materials”)
May 2019 15
To define Fertilisers Regulation criteria for these materials (as CMCs)
- Commission agreed to start definition of criteria for materials in 2016
- DG GROW mandate to JRC: February 2016
- JRC draft report May 2017 and draft market report December 2017
- Pre-Final Report 13th August 2018 – online at www.phosphorusplatform.eu/regulatory
- Final STRUBIAS meeting 25-27 Sept. 2018 – report online at
www.phosphorusplatform.eu/regulatory
- Pre-Final Report 13th August 2018 – online at www.phosphorusplatform.eu/regulatory
DG GROW will translate into CMC legal text to add to Annex II, Qu3/2019 (?)
Presenting innovative systems using algae for wastewater treatment

18. European policies driving nutrient recycling
• Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive 1991/271
• Nitrates Directive 1991/676 – SAFEMANURE study
underway
• Water Framework Directive 2000/2000
- quality objectives 2015 / 2021 / 2027
• Groundwater Directive 2006/118
- phosphorus on monitoring list (2014)
• National Emission Ceilings Directive revision: reduce
ammonia emissions by 19% until 2030
May 2019 16
 Phosphorus is first cause of (non-morphological) quality status failure under the
EU Water Framework Directive
 55% of UK rivers and 74% of lakes exceed P level for good ecological status
3 July 2018
Presenting innovative systems using algae for wastewater treatment

19. European policies driving nutrient recycling
Proposed new CAP (Common Agricultural Policy)
• EU Commission proposal 1 June 2018
• “Farm Sustainability Tool for Nutrients”
- information on farm, crops, management
- complete nutrient budget
• Conditionality requirements:
- control of diffuse pollution by phosphates
- nitrate leakages
… buffer strips, soil management …
• https://ec.europa.eu/info/food-farming-fisheries/key-policies/common-agricultural-policy/future-cap_en
May 2019 17Presenting innovative systems using algae for wastewater treatment

20. National policies
Finland
• Action program: Finland among world leaders in Circular
Economy by 2025.
The Netherlands
• Agreements (mostly voluntary) between government and
stakeholders aiming at P-recycling.
Sweden
• Aiming at toxin-free and resource-efficient eco-cycles, the
Government has appointed an inquiry to propose a ban on
spreading sewage sludge and introduce a requirement for
phosphorus recycling from sewage sludge.
May 2019 18Presenting innovative systems using algae for wastewater treatment

21. National policies
Germany
• Legislation May 2017: phosphorus recycling becomes obligatory
- within 12/15 years
- for all WWTPs > 50 000 PE
- if sewage sludge P > 2% of dry matter
Switzerland
• 2016 Decree makes phosphorus recovery obligatory by 2026
• from sewage sludge incineration ash* and meat and bone meal ash, >45% from sludge, >80% from ash
• 2018 “MinRec” requirements to inorganic recycled fertilisers enforced by Swiss Bundesrat
* Switzerland banned land use of sewage biosolids in 2006
May 2019 19Presenting innovative systems using algae for wastewater treatment

22. P-Recovery potential in EU27 (Source: Van Dijk et al., 2016)
May 2019 20
Mineral
fertilizers
:
1,397 kt
P (2005)
1,133 kt
P (2015)
Waste:
1,207 kt
Presenting innovative systems using algae for wastewater treatment

23. Global implementation (Source: Kabbe, 2018)
May 2019 21
More than 100 full-scale plants operational in Europe, USA/Canada and Japan.
80 struvite plants of which 60 are municipal; some 20,000 t struvite produced.
Pilot production of high grade P-products from ash in Varna, Hamburg, Madrid and
Helsingborg. Full scale production of ammonium nitrate in Oslo.
Presenting innovative systems using algae for wastewater treatment

24. Agenda
• Global challenges
• ESPP in a nutshell
• Framework: UN Agreements, policies and regulations
• P & N-recycling
• Conclusions

25. Struvite – essentially a by-product
• Driven and paid-back by maintenance improvements/savings
• Average P recovery rate from the aqueous phase 8-15% of the potential, up to 40%
recovery with sludge pre-treatment – albeit design capacity typically not achieved
• ˂10% of European wastewater treatment plants qualify for the current „struvite“ process
• Plants produce a few hundred to few thousands tons of P-fertilizer. Different shapes,
impurities, pollutants and fertilizing efficiency. Constant high quality products from Ostara.
May 2019 23Presenting innovative systems using algae for wastewater treatment

26. P-recycling from ash (EasyMining, TetraPhos, Phos4Life, EcoPhos)
> 85% P-recovery rate
• Several financially sound, industry owned technology
suppliers
• Independent of P-removal process in sewage plant
• High value “commodity” products =
• technical grade acid, DCP and / or
• 100% water soluble CleanMAP
• 3 processes recover iron/aluminium salts for P-removal
in wastewater treatment plants
• 2 processes recover silicates for cement production
Source: EasyMining
Source: Phos4LifeMay 2019 24Presenting innovative systems using algae for wastewater treatment

27. P-recycling from tailings (EasyMining / Yara)
May 2019 25
• EasyMining and LKAB develop the
production of technical, 100% water
soluble MAP (CleanMAP) and Rare
Earth Elements (REE) from LKAB’s
iron ore tailings
• Yara recovers P from a tailing pond
at the Lagamar Mine (JV Galvani,
Brazil) and uses recycled pyrit from a
partner’s mine in for phosphate
extraction in Siilinjärvi (Finland).
Presenting innovative systems using algae for wastewater treatment

28. Agenda
• Global challenges
• ESPP in a nutshell
• Framework: UN Agreements, policies and regulations
• P & N-recycling
• Conclusions

29. Conclusions
• Global, albeit not legally binding normative framework since 2015:
• 17 Sustainable Development Goals
• Paris Agreement COP21
• European policies, regulations and directives
• Circular Economy Package
• Proposed new Common Agricultural Policies (CAP)
• New Fertiliser Regulation
• Remaining barriers
• No market (demand) for more sustainable, circular processes
• No (apparent) willingness to accept a premium for sustainability
May 2019 27Presenting innovative systems using algae for wastewater treatment

30. Conclusions (2) – regarding national initiatives
• Incentive / penalty options
• Taxes on landfill (DK, NL), on nutrient effluents (DK)
• P-recycling mandatory (CH, DE)
• Binding agreements with industry, municipalities (NL, BSAG)
• Tax externalities, e.g. CO2 – saving GHG emissions must pay back!
• Regulations should consider
• N2O emissions
• Future N-recovery integration
• Energy balance of WWTP
• LCA of circular solutions
May 2019 28Presenting innovative systems using algae for wastewater treatment

31. Email: Chris Thornton info@phosphorusplatform.eu Ludwig Hermann l.hermann@proman.pro
Website: www.phosphorusplatform.eu
News: @phosphorusfacts http://www.phosphorusplatform.eu/members