(From left) Jan Svärd, CEO of EasyMining, Prof. Dr. Armin Willingmann, Minister of the Environment, Martin Braunersreuther, Managing Director of Phosphorgewinnung Schkopau.The Saxony-Anhalt Ministry of the Environment has granted funding of 27.1 million euros to Phosphorgewinnung Schkopau GmbH for the construction of the world’s first phosphorus recovery plant using EasyMining’s Ash2Phos process.
PGS (Phosphorgewinnung Schkopau GmbH), a joint venture between EasyMining Germany GmbH and GELSENWASSER AG, has received a grant from the Saxony-Anhalt Ministry of the Environment for 27.1 million euros for the construction of the world’s first phosphorus recovery plant using EasyMining’s Ash2Phos process. Set to launch in 2027, this project will ensure a stable supply of high-quality phosphorus and position Saxony-Anhalt at the forefront of innovative technologies within recycling and waste management.
On 13 February, the Minister of the Environment for Saxony-Anhalt, Prof. Dr. Armin Willingmann, handed over the funding decision to PGS and commented: “With the establishment of this highly innovative phosphorus recovery plant, Saxony-Anhalt can once again make a name for itself as a state of future technologies. Phosphorus is a critical raw material on which our agriculture in particular depends on. Especially for countries like Germany, which have to import thousands of tonnes of phosphorus every year, the establishment of a circular economy solution in which phosphorus is recovered on a significant scale could be a real step forward. Recovering the raw material could also make an important contribution to protecting our environment and our natural resources.”
The Ash2Phos process represents a paradigm shift in phosphorus recovery technology with focus on environmentally friendly, sustainable and efficient recycling.
“We want to establish a closed-loop solution for the vital nutrient phosphorus in Europe,” explains Christian Kabbe, Managing Director of EasyMining Germany GmbH, and Agnes Janda, Head of Wastewater at GELSENWASSER AG. “This will ensure a stable supply of high-quality phosphorus and also contribute to a more sustainable food supply,” concludes Christian Kabbe.
· The recovery plant in Schkopau is the first plant in the world to utilise the new Ash2Phos technology for phosphorus recovery.
· The phosphorus recovered from sewage sludge ash is of high quality and can be used directly as a fertiliser as well as in the chemical industry.
· The Ash2Phos technology enables more than 90 percent of the phosphorus to be extracted from the ash produced during sewage sludge incineration.
· It also enables other substances to be recovered, such as ferric chloride for reuse as a precipitant in sewage treatment plants and sand.
· Pollutants are removed from the sewage sludge ash and thus from the water cycle, reducing the burden on the environment.
Phosphorgewinnung Schkopau GmbH (PGS) was founded in 2021 by GELSENWASSER AG and EasyMining Services Sweden AB to build the first Ash2Phos plant in Germany. This first industrial-scale plant will be located in the Schkopau Chemical Park in Saxony-Anhalt, Germany and will have a capacity of 30,000 tonnes of ash from incinerated sewage sludge per year. The plant will receive ash from the mono-incineration plant in Bitterfeld-Wolfen but can also treat ash from other mono-incineration plants. www.pg-schkopau.de
EasyMining develops and implements sustainable industrial-scale processes that create true circularity. We convert elements from waste into essential nutrients for plant and animal growth. EasyMining is owned by Ragn-Sells Group, a privately held corporate group involved in waste management, environmental services, and recycling in Northern Europe. www.easymining.com/ash2phos/
GELSENWASSER AG – All life comes from water, that's how Gelsenwasser was born! Founded in 1887 in the Ruhr area to supply the coal and steel industry and the people of the region with water, Gelsenwasser is now one of Germany's largest water supply companies. Resource conservation is very important to the company. The Gelsenwasser logo has reflected this orientation for over 50 years: The blue river in a green landscape stands for sustainable, responsible management of resources - this applies to all business areas. Infrastructure and supply are the focal points: from water and wastewater to energy (gas, electricity, wind, PV, heat), digital, industrial parks (life science, chemicals) and the circular economy (sewage sludge incineration plus phosphorus recycling). Team blau-grün - the infrastructure specialists | www.gelsenwasser.de
Clean Phosphorus 2029 Initiative EasyMining and Gelsenwasser, together with other companies, have founded the ‘Clean Phosphorus 2029’ initiative. The members are committed to sustainable phosphorus recovery from municipal sewage sludge. The aim is to achieve recovery plants by 2029 in order to fulfil the legal requirements for phosphorus recovery.
The initiative is committed to environmentally friendly and sustainable phosphorus recovery and recycling processes. It is growing continuously and is open to all companies and institutions that are committed to its guiding principles. Clean Phosphorus 2029 Initiative | LinkedIn
For further information, please contact:
Dr. Daniel Frank, EasyMining, +49 (0)160 30 88 324, daniel.frank@easymining.com Debby Porter Laffitte, Press officer EasyMining, +46 (0)10 723 24 16, press@ragnsells.com
EasyMining develops and implements sustainable industrial-scale processes that create true circularity. We convert elements from waste into essential nutrients for plant and animal growth. We are owned by Ragn-Sells Group, a privately held corporate group involved in waste management, environmental services, and recycling in Northern Europe. www.easymining.com
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