Project Scope

Due to their fibrous and nutrient contents, digestates have great potential to be used as input material for replacing peat in potting soil or as organic fertilizers. Those could be produced locally by biogas plants.

Established processes for the production of organic fertilizers for horticulture are based on drying and evaporation. However, the nutrient ratio of the raw fermentation product is not altered in these processes. This severely restricts the potential area of their application. Thus, much of the potential for added value remains unused.  

RegioCycle is trying to address these problems by designing innovative digestate-based fertilizer and soil products for amateur and professional gardeners that are tailored to suit a market need and by developing an innovative plant technology for their production. The project is divided into three work packages: the development of the technology, trial operation and accompanying social science research, for the latter of which the Institute of International Research on Sustainable Management and Renewable Energy (ISR) is responsible.

The ISR investigates product acceptance, the availability of alternative products and the cost-effectiveness of the technology. To this end, the following activities are planned:

1. Analysis of alternative products available on the market
2. Qualitative interviews with gardeners, consultants and company representatives
3. Online survey among operators of biogas plants

Project Team

Prof. Dr. Carsten Herbes, M.Sc. Niklas Conzelmann, M.Sc. Marius Jahnke, M.A. Annegret Kurze

Cooperation Partners

Geltz Umwelttechnologie GmbH, Agro Energie Hohenlohe GmbH & Co KG

Project Duration

October 2022 – Juni 2025

Funding        

This project was supported by the Baden-Württemberg Ministry of Food, Rural Affairs and Consumer Protection.

It received funding within the framework of the strategy Sustainable Bioeconomy by the federal state of Baden-Württemberg