NUMBER 93 May 2013 Policies and perspectives Life cycle assessment Phosphorus management Sewage sludge and P-recovery European Sustainable Phosphorus Platform Four different options for sewage sludge utilisation with valorisation of phosphorus were assessed for direct and initiative indirect environmental impacts. The European Phosphorus Platform will bring together industry, knowledge centres, regulators and NGOs to P-recycling technologies work together, share experience and develop an operational value chain in phosphate recycling, Food waste aerobic composting efficient phosphorus use and phosphorus stewardship. Struvite precipitation and nitrogen loss Phosphates 2013 Three different phosphate compounds were added to food waste aerobic composters, resulting in significantly Phosphate industry outlook different nitrogen losses The CRU “Phosphates” conferences, now annual, bring together phosphate industry actors worldwide to discuss Zirconium ferrite technologies, markets and development perspectives. P-recovery by adsorption/desorption and Global Phosphorus demand magnetic separation P-recovery from sewage using a ferromagnetic adsorbent Predicting future phosphorus needs for and magnetic separation was tested using pure solutions agriculture and wastewater plant effluent at the laboratory level. Phosphorus that accumulates in soil through use of fertilizers could lead to less future phosphorus needs for Novel P-recovery from wastewaters food production. Amorphous calcium silicate hydrates (A-CSHs) Quantification of phosphorus flows (1) A-CHSs showed to be highly effective in removing phosphorus from sewage sludge digestion liquor, Phosphorus balance for France enabling P-recovery by settling and direct use of the The assessment of P-flows and a P-balance in France product. show significant net balance (import) of c 263 000 tonnes P/year in 2006. Only around 78 000 tonnes P reached Sewage sludge incineration ash households in food, of which around half was lost to municipal refuse in food wastes. Acid extraction from ashes Sulphuric and nitric acid were tested for phosphorus Quantification of phosphorus flows (2) extraction from aluminium or iron rich sewage sludge incineration ashes. Agricultural phosphorus use in 4 French regions Conferences An assessment of phosphorus flows, stocks and balances in agriculture in 4 French regions: one intensive arable, Symphos one concentrating livestock, and two mixed farming. RRB-9 Urban phosphorus flows Global TraPs IWA Nutrient Removal and Recovery Fate of phosphorus in food and municipal wastes Two studies in Sweden look at flows of phosphorus in an Agenda urban area and P-recovery from municipal waste incineration fly ash, in the context of Sweden’s national phosphorus recycling objective. The SCOPE NEWSLETTER is produced by CEEP, a sector group of Cefic, and circulated electronically free of charge To unsubscribe: www.ceep-phosphates.org CEEP av. E. Van Nieuwenhuyse 4, bte 2, B1160, Bruxelles - Belgium Policies and perspectives circulate information on economic and employment opportunities of phosphorus management catalogue of value-chain industry actors, Phosphorus management technology suppliers, companies managing European Sustainable Phosphorus secondary phosphorus resources, producers and Platform initiative users of recovered and recycled phosphates … information exchange with initiatives on The European Sustainable Phosphorus Platform phosphorus stewardship in Europe and initiative came out of the European Sustainable worldwide, P-recycling newsletter, website, Phosphorus Conference, Brussels, 6-7 March communications 2013, at which the European Commissioner for propose a research agenda for phosphorus the Environment, EU Member States, industry and management in Europe scientists called for European action for joint project proposal development phosphorus stewardship and recycling. Over 150 organisations signed the conference declaration Invitation to participate calling for such an initiative, and it is now being Companies, knowledge centres and other concerned taken forward by an open committee involving organisations are invited to join the European national nutrient platforms, regulators, knowledge Sustainable Phosphorus Platform, in order to benefit centres and companies and industrial associations from networking, information sharing and to in the fertiliser, animal feeds, waste management participate in technical meetings and joint actions. and phosphorus recycling sectors. www.phosphorusplatform.org The European Sustainable Phosphorus Platform is currently defining an action plan for the coming year including a number of concrete actions to progress phosphorus stewardship and P-recycling, and the Phosphates 2013 objective of establishing the Platform as a permanent Phosphate industry outlook structure by 2014. “Phosphates 2013” (CRU conference, Monte Carlo 26-27th March 2013 http://www.crugroup.com/events/phosphates/ ) is the first time that this conference has been organised annually rather than every two years, following “Phosphates 2012”, see SCOPE Newsletter n° 86), “Phosphates 2013” brought together some 300 delegates and industry experts from across the world, to discuss new supplies of phosphate rock, P-recovery, recycling and use Action Plan efficiency, phosphate industry integration from P- rock to fertiliser and phosphorus chemical The European Sustainable P Platform’s action plan for production, and perspectives for the agriculture coming months proposes: and the fertiliser phosphate and animal feed organising technical meetings to exchange phosphate markets. information and develop proposals on issues such as regulations impacting phosphorus recycling and re-use, contaminant control and societal implications of recycled phosphorus in the human food chain … advocacy - coordinate input to European and national policies and initiatives, for example raw materials and resource efficiency roadmap, bio- resources, water, agriculture, chemicals policies develop and support national/regional phosphorus value chain actions SCOPE Newsletter - n° 93 - May 2013 - Page 2 www.ceep-phosphates.org In addition to plenary presentations on these strategy Efficiency, recovery and recycling and perspectives questions, 15 showcase presentations covered phosphate industry technologies and Paul Speight, European Commission DG applications. Environment, presented the EU perspective on phosphorus resources. Phosphorus is a case study for Nick Edwards, CRU, opened the conference, the need for resource efficiency, as Europe has very underlining that we are in unpredictable times of little phosphorus resources, and only 2-3% of change for the phosphate and fertiliser industry, with phosphorus applied in agricultural fertilisers and feeds three key questions: growth of global demand for finally reaches consumed human food. For example, fertiliser (because of increasing global population and 30% of food produced in the EU ends up as waste changing diet in developing countries, as well as instead of being eaten. This inefficiency results in biofuels), the advent of shale gas radically modifying pollution (eutrophication) as phosphorus is lost to energy costs and supply geography, and questions surface waters, and also in a long-term and irreversible around the financing of supply development (new problem of soil contamination by cadmium from phosphate rock production or processing capacity). mineral fertilisers. New sources of phosphate rock supply The European Commission considers that Europe needs to improve agricultural efficiency of Glenn Gatcliffe, BMO Capital Markets, showed that phosphorus application, in possible new phosphate rock production projects are particular by improving soil currently numerous, with often large, currently quality and organic content to unexploited phosphate rock reserves identified in reduce soil erosion, for Angola, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, DRC, example by crop rotations. Guinea-Bissau, Idaho, Kazakhstan, Mali, Mongolia, Phosphorus recycling must Mozambique, Namibia, Peru, New Zealand, Saudi be developed, including Arabia, South Africa, Tunisia, Ukraine, USA, … At manure processing and reuse, current phosphate prices and demand, however, few if recovery and recycling of any of these are likely to be developed, as global phosphorus from wastewaters, supply is already in overcapacity. Public markets P-recycling from animal by- financing for phosphate mining investments is difficult products, reduction and to obtain, especially for projects with large capital composting of food and green expenditures and with research analysts not expecting wastes. rock prices to increase in the long term. The European Commission has already engaged a Specific phosphate mining developments and projects number of actions to improve phosphorus were presented by Allen Picket, Aguia Resources management, including: (Brazil), Roderick Smith, Cominco Resources • Update (underway) of the Fertiliser (Congo) and Andy Jung, Stonegate Agricom (Idaho Regulation, to include organic amendments USA, Peru). (manures, compost …) and to set cadmium Thomas Schantze, Jacobs Engineering, summarised limits the challenges of delivering major investment projects • EU raw materials initiative, where in phosphate extraction and processing. phosphorus will be considered • Implementation of the Nitrates Directive Yahya Al-Yami, Ma’aden Phosphate, presented a • paper about Ma’aden Phosphate growing to support a Use of agricultural policy to try to combat balanced market. He