Recovering phosphorous from biogas fermentation residues indicates promising economic results

The economics of producing energy-valuable gases by fermenting phytomass is deteriorated by the costs asso-ciated with waste management of highly diluted (typically 95% water) fermentation residues (FR). Previously, no better solution was known than to plough FR into the arable land and claim that it is an irrigation with soil improving and fertilizing effect. However, farmers soon realized that FR organic matter is of little agronomic value and nutrients are at agronomically insignificant levels. As FR watering has proved economically irrational in many countries the practice of separating water from the FR and using the solid fraction for energy purposes (such as charcoal) has dominated. However, most nutrients are lost in this way. For the first time it is proposed to activate the charred FR via calcium chloride (whose price is insignificant as it would be used for fertilization purposes anyway) and using the resulting sorbent to capture phosphorus (P) out of the FR's liquid fraction. It is reported for the first time that the activated char is capable of capturing 37.5 +/- 4.7 kg P t(-1) whereas the P availability for plant nutrition outperforms FR as well as struvite. In addition, the char demonstrates the potential to improve soil characteristics and the metabolism of soil biota. The cost breakdown and subsequent market analysis indicates that the novel fertilizer shows signs of competitiveness.

Automated summary

The economics of producing energy-valuable gases through fermenting phytomass is threatened by the costs associated with waste management of highly diluted fermentation residues. The traditional practice of using the solid fraction of the residues for energy purposes leads to nutrient loss and farmers have realized that the organic matter in the residues has little agronomic value. For the first time, it is proposed to activate the charred residues and use the resulting sorbent to capture phosphorus from the liquid fraction, showing promising results for plant nutrition and soil improvement.