Berlin plant (fertilizer)
Berlin plant is a mineral fertilizer that is obtained from sewage sludge by Berliner Wasserbetriebe .
problem
The natural excretions of humans contain phosphorus , which leads to incrustations and strong algae growth in sewage pipes. In order to eliminate these, high maintenance costs are incurred for water companies. At the same time, global phosphorus supplies are limited and concentrated in a few countries, including a. China .
Phosphorus recovery
In cooperation with the Technical University of Berlin, Berliner Wasserbetriebe have developed a process at the Waßmannsdorf sewage treatment plant with which crystalline phosphorus can be obtained from the sewage sludge. Magnesium ammonium phosphate (MAP) is precipitated by adding precipitants. The process has been patented. The MAP obtained in this way was approved as a long-term mineral fertilizer in 2008 and is marketed under the name Berliner Plant . The production is several hundred tons a year.
composition
The fertilizer consists of an average of
- 62% MAP
- 10% water (moisture)
- 9% organic ingredients
- 10% sand as well
- 9% other mineral components
Award
In 2015, Berliner Wasserbetriebe received the GreenTec Award in the Recycling & Resources category for developing the process. The process was also presented at the 2017 International Horticultural Show.
Individual evidence
- ↑ Bernd Heinzmann / Andreas Lengemann: The Berlin Plant - MAP - Crystallization Process of the Berliner Wasserbetriebe, presentation on the website of the Federal Environment Agency, accessed on July 23, 2017
- ↑ Bernd Heinzmann / Andreas Lengemann: The Berlin Plant - MAP - Kristallisationsverfahren der Berliner Wasserbetriebe, presentation on the website of the Federal Environment Agency, p. 20, accessed on July 23, 2017
- ↑ www.tagesspiegel.de: GreenTec gala in Berlin: Save the world with Porsche, celebrities and 200,000 lamps, from May 29, 2015, accessed on July 23, 2017
- ↑ www.wiwo.de: Valuable wastewater: Berliners gain fertilizer in sewage treatment plants, from April 23, 2015, accessed on July 23, 2017