Recovering phosphorus from manure: How REFARM works

How can we recover valuable nutrients from animal manure and reuse them more efficiently? Within the Dutch-German REFARM (Rethinking Farming and Manure Management) project, researchers, technical partners and farmers are working together on innovative solutions. Over the past year and a half, a pilot installation was tested at the dairy farm of the Broekroelofs family to recover phosphorus from the liquid fraction of cattle manure. The pilot showed that phosphorus can successfully be released from the manure. At the same time, it became clear that the resulting phosphorus-containing particles need to be retained more effectively. Based on these practical experiences, the installation is now being further developed and optimised. A new reactor design, based on successful laboratory-scale research at Wetsus, aims to retain more phosphorus in the system so that ultimately more of this valuable nutrient can be recovered. In this animation, you will discover how the process works, what we learned from the first pilot and how REFARM is taking the next step towards a robust solution for practical application.