Struvite: Recovering Nutrients from Pig Slurry for Sustainable Fertiliser

The Struvite group developed a prototype system at a pig farm in Modena, Italy, to treat slurry and effluents by recovering nitrogen and phosphorus from digestate. This process reduces ammonia and greenhouse gas emissions during storage and field application. The recovered nutrients form a slow-release, renewable fertiliser called Struvite, which can replace synthetic fertilisers. The system is designed for high-density pig farming areas and is part of the Horizon Europe initiative promoting sustainable agriculture and nutrient recovery. The prototype reduced digestate nitrogen and phosphorus levels, producing a precipitate accounting for less than 10% of the original mass.