NENUPHAR Project: Nitrogen and Phosphorus Recovery from Waste Streams in the EU

The NENUPHAR project, funded by the European Union (grant agreement Nº 101082169), develops governance models and value chains for recovering nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) from agricultural and urban waste streams, including manure, sewage sludge, and dairy wastewater, across EU countries. It targets 1,400 million tons of annual waste, recovering 2–5 million tons of nitrogen and 0.6 million tons of phosphorus. The project applies technologies such as ammonia stripping in Spain’s Ebro basin, composting in Latvia’s Lielupe basin, and membrane filtration with pre-oxidation in the Danube basin. It evaluates EU and national regulations, including the Water Framework Directive, Nitrates Directive, and Waste Framework Directive, and assesses economic instruments like subsidies, tax reliefs, and climate funds. Key findings include stricter limits on nutrient application, such as Spain’s 5-metre buffer zone for manure near water bodies and Denmark’s waste quality standards. The project supports policy development through stakeholder workshops, focusing on regulatory and financial barriers to nutrient recovery and promoting circular economy principles across the EU.