Nitrogen Recovery from Black Water Using Bioelectrochemical Systems

Nitrogen recovery from anaerobically treated black water using bioelectrochemical systems (BES) enables sustainable fertiliser production with low energy demand. The Run4Life project develops microbial fuel cell (MFC) and microbial electrolysis cell (MEC) technologies to selectively extract ammonium (NH4+) while removing chemical oxygen demand (COD). Key innovations include electroactive biofilms tolerant to high NH4+ levels, optimised reactor designs, and scalable flat-plate BES configurations. A demonstration site in Vigo tests system performance under real conditions, using nitric acid and electricity input to produce ammonium nitrate and clean effluent. The project, funded under Horizon 2020 (GA 730285), focuses on direct nitrogen recovery, energy efficiency, and microbial-driven treatment. Contact: nicolas.morales.pereira@fcc.es, eborras@leitat.org.