Circular potassium project receives funding from Formas

EasyMining, part of the Ragn-Sells Group, has secured funding from Formas’ Biosociety program for its innovative project to recover potassium from bioindustrial waste and to produce clean fertilisers. The project is one of 15 selected initiatives aimed at developing more efficient bio-based production processes, strengthening Sweden’s competitiveness, and contributing to a circular bioeconomy.

“If we are serious about creating a sustainable society, we must use what we already have over and over again. By recovering potassium from ash, we can reduce dependence on finite resources and at the same time lower climate impact,” says Jan Svärd, CEO at EasyMining.

The project focuses on recovering potassium from ash generated during the combustion of biofuels. Potassium is an essential nutrient for agriculture, but today large quantities are imported from mines in other parts of the world. By recovering potassium locally, we can both strengthen food security and reduce environmental impact.

“It is high time we develop processes that make us more self-sufficient. This technology makes it possible to utilise valuable nutrients that would otherwise be lost – an important step toward a circular economy,” says Cristian Tunsu, Lab Manager and Senior R&D Engineer at EasyMining.

Every year, large amounts of nutrients are lost in ash that is not recycled. By recovering these resources, we can reduce the need for new extraction and contribute to a more sustainable society.

The project builds upon EasyMining’s previous work related to recovery of potassium. EasyMining together with the partners in this project (BIO3, Ragn-Sells, Vilokan and SLU) will investigate the up-scaling of a circular solution to recover potassium fertilisers in the Nordics; and will assess their performance through agricultural field tests.

For further information, please contact:
Jan Svärd, CEO, EasyMining, part of Ragn-Sells Group, +46 70 978 64 74, jan.svard@easymining.com
Debby Porter Laffitte, Press Officer, Ragn-Sells, +46 10 723 24 16, press@ragnsells.com

• Related links
  From Forest to Sugar Kelp – 15 Projects to Strengthen Sweden’s Bioeconomy – Formas Circular Potassium Fertilizer – EasyMining Services Sweden AB
  The project recovers potassium from bioindustrial waste into clean fertilizers. This increases circularity and reduces climate impact in agriculture.
• A treasure hunt for nutrients – recovering potassium and phosphorus from bioindustry ashes
• From bioindustry waste to premium fertilisers