BioDEN: A biorefinery approach to exploit digestate as key feedstock in the energy – nutrient nexus

The BioDEN project aims to create extra revenues for the biogas sector by developing a technology cascade approach for an integrated enhanced biogas production and efficient recovery of nutrients (N, P, K) as (novel) bio-fertilisers from digestate.

The project will focus on increasing the biogas yield under high organic loading, the recovery of ammonia via stripping and scrubbing with alternative solvents, and the recuperation of phosphorus with innovative precipitation and adsorption techniques.

The different technologies will be evaluated in an integrated value chain assessment, including pot trials and scenario analyses.

The objective of the BioDEN-project are:

(i) a 10-20% increase in the biogas production, due to reduced ammonia inhibition, release of bio-available organic matter and high organic loading rates,

(ii) an increase in the methane content of the biogas by 3-5% due to CO2-stripping, (iii) optimised processes for the recovery of nutrients into novel (ammonium citrate, ammonium bicarbonate) and known (ammonium sulphate, struvite, calcium phosphate) bio-fertilisers.

Check the Project website

Project coordinator

Biogas-E – Platform voor anaerobe vergisting, Belgium

Project Partners

VCM – Vlaams Coördinatiecentrum Mestverwerking, Belgium
UGent – Ghent University, Belgium
KU Leuven - Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Belgium
Ostim Enerjik - Ostim Renewable Energy and Environmental Technologies Cluster Association, Turkey
UMarmara – Marmara University, Turkey