Optimized soil supply through bio-based fertilizer with gradual nutrient release
Abstract
Meat processing companies generate large amounts of waste that require complex and costly treatment based on national and European hygiene regulations. Usually, this type of waste is processed in rendering plants (TKV), which require large amounts of thermal energy. The final products are either burned in waste incineration plants and cement factories or are limitedly used as an animal feed additive. From the so far unused waste materials, the base product biochar (nutrient carrier) is obtained by pyrolysis. By varying the process parameters and by a targeted modification of the char surface with chemical methods, the base product is optimized in terms of quantity and quality of nutrients to be adsorbed as well as the maximum achievable water holding capacity. In order to load up the char with essential nutrients digestate from anaerobic treated slaughterhouse waste is used. An innovative low-temperature process (membrane distillation) is applied to increase the nutrient density and to reduce the water content. In addition to the concentrate, pure water is recovered that is able to replace expensive process water in the facility. The resulting product will be extensively characterized, whereas the focus is set on toxic substances (European Biochar Directive) as well as on the quantity and quality of adsorbed nutrients and their bioavailability in soil. Nutricoal therefore enables to close the gap in terms of exploiting the entire waste material accumulated during the slaughter process in an innovative and sustainable way. Low-value waste material will be converted into a high-value biobased product.
Biochar Anaerobic digestion Soil enhancement Nutrient cycle
Publikationen
Project staff
Christoph Pfeifer
Univ.Prof. Dipl.-Ing. Dr.techn. Christoph Pfeifer
christoph.pfeifer@boku.ac.at
Tel: +43 1 47654-89301, 89351
Project Leader
28.05.2018 - 30.08.2021
Tobias Pröll
Univ.Prof. Dipl.-Ing. Dr.techn. Tobias Pröll
tobias.proell@boku.ac.at
Tel: +43 1 47654-89311
Project Leader
01.05.2018 - 27.05.2018
David Wöß
Dipl.-Ing. Dr. David Wöß
david.woess@boku.ac.at
Tel: +43 1 47654-89316
Project Staff
01.04.2021 - 30.04.2021
BOKU partners
External partners
Bioenergy 2020+ GmbH
Dr. Markus Ortner
coordinator