Imagine if we could treat city sewage ash like a gold mine instead of trash. This process pulls out phosphorus, a rare mineral we usually dig up from the ground, and turns it into high-quality acid. It's like recycling a critical ingredient that the world needs to grow food and make fire-safe materials.
Europe relies on imports for 90% of its phosphate rock, creating a critical supply risk for food security and industry. Meanwhile, 90% of used phosphorus is wasted in sewage sludge ash.
A patented circular process that extracts phosphoric acid from sewage sludge ash and struvite, along with a circular cement binder made from the process residuals.
If you are a fertilizer manufacturer dealing with the high cost and supply risks of imported rock phosphate — this project developed a recovery process that turns sewage sludge ash into phosphoric acid. This allows you to source raw materials from urban waste instead of volatile foreign markets.
If you are a chemical company dealing with the toxicity of halogenated flame retardants — this project developed a way to produce phosphate-based alternatives from waste. This helps you switch to safer ingredients while tapping into a market worth €1.84B.
If you are a construction materials company dealing with the need for greener binders — this project developed a circular cement binder made from the residual by-products of phosphate recovery. This transforms a waste stream into a functional building material.
By 2026, SusPhos expects to earn €43.9M per year. It has the potential to displace 20% of conventionally produced phosphates.
The project has focused on perfecting the process and preparing for the construction of a full-scale demonstration plant in the Netherlands.
Based on available project data, the phosphate recovery process is patented.
The process aims to eliminate 3.9M tonnes of CO2 by replacing traditional fossil mining practices.
The project period ends on 2025-02-28, with revenue targets set for 2026.
The project is led by a single SME, Neptuna Ventures BV from the Netherlands. While the consortium lacks diverse industrial partners, the coordinator has actively engaged with industry stakeholders to optimize product quality and has already identified preferred vendors for the full-scale factory construction.
Contact Neptuna Ventures BV regarding the upcoming full-scale demonstration plant in the Netherlands.
Contact us to find licensing opportunities for this patented phosphate recovery process.
