Synthesis report on major findings from WP2

The report reviews 819 studies on ecotechnologies for nutrient recovery in the Baltic Sea Region, finding that while energy recovery is mature in wastewater and manure-based systems dominate agriculture, economic viability is heavily dependent on global market prices for phosphate rock and natural gas. It argues that current EU policies remain rooted in linear waste management and calls for harmonized regulations to promote a circular economy for nutrients.

• A review of 819 studies identified that in the agricultural sector, ecotechnologies for recovering nitrogen and phosphorus are more prevalent than those for carbon recovery, with animal manure serving as the primary source. Anaerobic digestion is the most frequent manure-based technology, followed by struvite crystallization.
• In the wastewater sector, evidence suggests that ecotechnologies for energy recovery are more mature than those for nutrient recovery. Phosphorus recovery is more common than nitrogen recovery, particularly when chemical processes are employed.
• The economic feasibility of nutrient and carbon recovery technologies is primarily driven by the global market prices of phosphate rock, natural gas (used for ammonia and biogas), and other energy systems, which dictate revenue and profitability.
• Societal and geopolitical drivers promote nutrient reuse, including the need to secure sovereign sources of phosphorus—as the EU imports 90% of its P—and the goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions by closing the carbon loop.
• Current EU policies and regulations are largely dominated by linear resource-waste thinking rather than circular economy concepts. Specifically, phosphorus is not included in the EU Nitrates Directive, which hinders the harmonization of phosphorus and nitrogen reuse in agriculture.
• The Baltic Sea continues to suffer from eutrophication and cyanobacterial blooms due to legacy phosphorus in farmlands and internal loading from anaerobic sediments, despite reductions in chemical fertilizer use over the last 30 years.
• Agricultural practices that spread manure based solely on nitrogen crop requirements lead to significant phosphorus overloading because manure typically has a lower N/P ratio (1-2 to 1) than what crops require (5-6 to 1).
• Phosphorus recycling in the EU is characterized by fragmented decision-making across regional administrations, with a notable lack of active regulatory support such as subsidies or recycling obligations.

APA

Rosemarin, A., & Ek, F. (2019). Synthesis report on major findings from WP2. Stockholm Environment Institute. https://www.sei.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/closing-the-loop-on-nutrient-losses-from-agriculture-and-cities-d2.6-0.1.pdf

Chicago

Rosemarin, Arno, and Filippa Ek. Synthesis report on major findings from WP2. Stockholm Environment Institute, 2019. https://www.sei.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/closing-the-loop-on-nutrient-losses-from-agriculture-and-cities-d2.6-0.1.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Rosemarin |first1=Arno |last2=Ek |first2=Filippa |title=Synthesis report on major findings from WP2 |publisher=Stockholm Environment Institute |date=30 April 2019 |url=https://www.sei.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/closing-the-loop-on-nutrient-losses-from-agriculture-and-cities-d2.6-0.1.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{rosemarin2019synthesis, author = {Rosemarin, Arno and Ek, Filippa}, title = {{Synthesis report on major findings from WP2}}, institution = {Stockholm Environment Institute}, year = {2019}, month = apr, url = {https://www.sei.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/closing-the-loop-on-nutrient-losses-from-agriculture-and-cities-d2.6-0.1.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }