Project

Fraunhofer Institute for
Systems and Innovation Research ISI

Recycling of phosphorous – Evaluation of processes and products and development of a concept for their commercialisation in Germany

Objective

Funding of this project by the German Federal Ministries for Education and Research (BMBF) and Environment, Energy and Nuclear Safety (BMU) is based on the general intention to develop and evaluate processes for the recycling of nutrients, in particular phosphorous, from a variety of wastes. This project contributes to this general aim by providing and applying standardized methods for the comparison of different recycling technologies with regard to the usefulness of the products in agriculture and other applications and the economic efficiency of the corresponding processes. Eventually, a concept for the recycling of phosphorous and the diffusion of corresponding innovative technologies in Germany will be developed.
The contribution to this project by Fraunhofer ISI is the assessment of the basic conditions for, and the corresponding economic potential of, the recycling of phosphorous in Germany. An important part of this aim is the identification of promising technologies by means of technology foresight and the assessment of the economic potential that may be realized by the German industry after engaging in this sustainable technology.

Status

Ongoing (12-2006 – 01-2011)

Client

German Federal Ministry for Education and Research (BMBF)

Partner

  • Inst. for Urban Water Management, RWTH Aachen (coordinator),
  • Inst. for Landscape ecology und resource management, University of Gießen,
  • Fraunhofer Institute for Molecular Biology and Applied Ecology (IME) and
  • Fraunhofer Institute for Systems and Innovation Research (ISI)