Nutrient Platform

KNAP

Project: Closing nutrient cycles from municipal and industrial waste water (KNAP)

In this cross-sectoral project within the TKI Watertechnologie and TKI Agri & Food, are the research partners WUR/WENR, KWR and LeAF working together with a broad range of partners from the public and private sector, on closing the nutrient cycles of communal waste water and industrial waste water. The consortium leader is the Nutrient Platform, an initiative of the Netherlands Water Partnership.

Within 9 diverse cases (of which 5 municipal waste water and four industrial waste water) is being worked on mapping the recyclable fertilisers (quantitative and qualitative), their agronomic value and the potential market opportunities. Overarching work is being done on a quality system with criteria based on which recycled fertilizers can be assessed.

Problem definition

The PPS project Kringloopsluiting van Nutriënten uit Afvalwater en Proceswater (KNAP) is focusing on closing the nutrient cycles from municipal waste water and industrial waste water systems, in which concepts are development and also in practice the nutrient cycles are closed. The goal is to bring the recovery and reuse of nutrients from waste water in agriculture to a next level. Reuse outside agriculture could also be an option.

Challenge and solution

The nutrient cycles in the Netherlands are far away from being closed. One of the ‘biggest leaks’ in the system are the municipal and industrial waste water systems. Although there are ambitions and goals been set in the last 10 years, it turns out that in practice little is being recovered and reused. The further development of systems in which nutrients are being brought back into the (food)cycle are experiencing various barriers at the intersection of technology, knowledge, legislation, collaboration and financial challenges.

Therefore, this project focuses on the integrated closure of the nutrient cycles of macronutrients nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), and potassium (K), and where appropriate, other nutrients, from the municipal and industrial wastewater chain. The goal is to elevate the recovery and reuse of nutrients from wastewater to a higher level so that water boards, fertilizer producers and traders, agriculture, the agri-food industry, and other relevant parties can actually close nutrient loops. The recovered nutrients could potentially address the increasing demand for nutrients due to current discussions on livestock farming regarding herd size, manure production, and derogations. The overall goal of the project is to develop applied knowledge and expertise to safely and sustainably apply wastewater products in a circular agriculture-food-sanitation system.

Intended result

Next to a diversity of cases in which on central and decentral level nutrients are recovered from municipal and industrial waste water, and are being reused, the project is aiming for the delivery of the following items:

  • The core is a developed quality system for recycled products and fertilizers from municipal and industrial wastewater.
  • Furthermore, a current insight into the largest leaks of macronutrients from the Dutch nutrient system.
  • Detailed information on the agricultural value, quality, and safety of the individual recycled fertilizers from the various cases.
  • And by the end of the project, we want to have a clear understanding of the existing barriers in legislation and regulations that hinder the optimal valorization of nutrient-rich residual streams and also suggest solutions for these.

It is crucial that there a broad support is developed at the government, companies and knowledge institutes for the developed quality management system and for the realisation of the cases after the research project has been finished.

Contact

For more information on this project you can contact the following partners:

Publicaties

At the moment there are no publications, but these can be found on our website in the future.

KNAP in the media (Dutch articles)

Winning van stikstofmest uit zuiveringsslib lijkt mogelijk; winning fosfaat lukt wellicht https://www.glastuinbouwwaterproof.nl/nieuws/winning-van-stikstofmest-uit-zuiveringsslib-lijkt-mogelijk-en-fosfaat-lukt-wellicht-ook/#_

NOS nieuws: “Aardappels geteeld met menselijke urine: ‘Zuiverder dan dierlijke mest” https://nos.nl/artikel/2541203-aardappels-geteeld-met-menselijke-urine-zuiverder-dan-dierlijke-mest

Focus uitzending:”Menselijke mest” https://npo.nl/start/serie/focus/seizoen-7_1/focus_41/afspelen

Item over KNAP veldproef en urine product (vanaf minuut 49:33) https://www.nporadio1.nl/uitzendingen/eenvandaag/9bd0bd99-eaf4-42de-b374-8087ea48651f/2024-05-29-eenvandaag

Zonde om weg te spoelen? Wat menselijke ontlasting kan bijdragen aan duurzame landbouw https://www.volkskrant.nl/wetenschap/zonde-om-weg-te-spoelen-wat-menselijke-ontlasting-kan-bijdragen-aan-duurzame-landbouw~bc231eab

4Daagsepoep en -plas waardevol: ‘Voor mest in de landbouw’ https://www.gld.nl/nieuws/8179060/4daagsepoep-en-plas-waardevol-voor-mest-in-de-landbouw

Beantwoording Kamervragen over het gat in de voedselkringloop menselijke mest https://www.rijksoverheid.nl/ministeries/ministerie-van-landbouw-natuur-en-voedselkwaliteit/documenten/kamerstukken/2023/07/06/beantwoording-kamervragen-over-het-gat-in-de-voedselkringloop-menselijke-mest