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10. ABC Animal Bone Char for Phosphorus recovery: Formulated Bio-Phosphate trials for two comparative plants, elder and wheat

RL4: Biobased fertilisers (N, P) and soil enhancers (OC) from agro-residues

Responsible partner: 3R-BioPhosphate Ltd,

Country: Kajászó, HUNGARY

ABC Animal Bone Char derived Formulated Bio-Phosphate trials for agronomic benefits.

TRL and Scale of set up:

This demo is operational at TRL 8 in deployment conditions and is ready to be commercialized for BioPhosphate product manufacturing at next level TRL9 (20,800 t/y throughput capacity).

Research line and priority:

This demo solution is linked to Nutri2Cycle research line 4 (RL-4: Biobased fertilisers (N, P) and soil enhancers (OC) from agro-residues) and is one of the shortlist priority solutions i.e. sub-research line 8 (P recovery from animal bones).

Description of demo investigation:

The apatite mineral based phosphate is the most important fertiliser that is Critical-Raw-Material (EU-COM(2020)474). This is high-phosphorus-density material (35% P2O5) occurring only in two majors forms on this Planet Earth: (i) mined/imported mineral phosphate (naturally containing high level cadmium/uranium that are also technologically enhanced during chemical processing) and (ii) ABC-animal bone-char-biophosphate, which is a macro-porous calcium-phosphate with no detectable contamination, high bio-fertiliser efficiency and material safety at less cost. Any other phosphorus content materials are degradation products of the apatite mineral. Replacing the >85%-imported cadmium/uranium contaminated/chemically processed mineral phosphates urgently needed. The Fertilising-Products-Regulation-(EU2019/1009) aiming to harmonize the European fertiliser manufacturing/quality-determination/use cases and priority promoting the increased use of recycled/recovered/upcycled nutrients to develop resource-efficient circular-economy, targeting transition to biobased-agriculture with greater security/sustainability. The European P-recovery challenge is that <17% phosphorus recycled, majority of the recovered products are low nutrient density (require high costly dose applications/ha), mostly containing accompanying contaminations (pharmaceutical residuals (incl. illicit drugs), over-high PTE’s (Zn/Cu), harmful/high-risk microbiological contaminations) while user costs are high. The identified knowledge gap is that such upcycled/valorised P-product needed, which is economical high-nutrient density (35%P2O5) for cost-efficient low-dose/ha use, contamination free, EU/MS-27 lawful, efficient for creative/wide-range reuse, market competitive, reasonably low/medium priced and available in EU industrial/market dimension. The BioPhosphate demo is set-up in real-world deployment conditions to addresses closing CNP loop to replace mineral P-fertilisers with ABC-animal-bone-char that is added-value upcycled (valorised) from food grade animal bones. The expected/user driven outcome is a creative P-recovery, that is safer-better-less-costly and more user/environment friendly than any other known solutions.

The Animal Bone Char (ABC) Bio-Phosphate is a natural organic product with macroporosus structure and economically high concentrated recovered Phosphorus content. The Bio-Phosphate commercial products are formulated to BIO-NPK-C in any compounds as of user/market demands for both organic and low input farming application cases. The Bio-Phosphate contains high amount of Phosphorus (>30% P2O5) and Calcium (>37%) that are processed to be available for plants, which allows efficient, environmentally safe and renewable phosphorus supply. Beside the highly available recovered phosphorus/calcium content the Bio-Phosphate also contains other important recovered trace elements, and other nutrients, such as potassium and magnesium. The product is a fully safe and economical innovative fertilizer with primarily application in the horticultural organic/low input farming cultivations with combined beneficial and multiple effects.

How it addresses the Nutri2Cycle goals:

This demonstration is at operational scale in deployment conditions. Both the BioPhosphate product manufacturing and the product itself is ready to be commercialised at next level TRL9 (20,800 t/y throughput capacity). The biobased fertiliser BioPhosphate production is demonstrated and validated for C, N and P loop closure as follows –

  • CNP loop closure result 1: upcycling of unexploited biomass animal bones and transforming into new and critical raw material, converted into new products to get second life, perceived to be of greater quality, safety and value, incl. high environmental – ecological – economical – technical – market value. By upcycling far more value and expanded lifespan created than the original value of the sum of all its bone meal components.
  • CNP loop closure result 2: creative reuse of unexploited biomass at less cost.
  • CNP loop closure result 3: economically viable bio-energy recovered from the 3R pyrolysis processes in EU commercial dimension https://nutriman.net/farmer-platform/technology/id_193.
  • CNP loop closure result 4: providing carbon sequestration, incl. combination with Terra Preta Biochar https://nutriman.net/farmer-platform/product/id_1571.
  • CNP loop closure result 5: ecological, environmental and climate safe manufacturing process with safe and lawful products implemented and creatively reused.
  • CNP loop closure result 6: combination of all results together and other agri/food byproduct stream with plus N, K, C, microelement content to make BIO-NPK-C compound biofertilisers https://nutriman.net/farmer-platform/product/id_192.

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