Alessandro Spagni
ENEA – Laboratory of Technologies for Water Management, Bologna
Italian Sustainable phosphorus platform
Sustainable Phosphorus use in Italy
Life-Trialkyl Project Final Conference
Auditorium Federchimica - Milano 25th June 2019
Italian Phosphorus Platform– web page
http://www.piattaformaitalianafosforo.it/
Italian Phosphorus Platform
3
• Born according to a National Law (LEGGE 27 dicembre 2017 , n.
205 . Bilancio di previsione dello Stato per l’anno finanziario 2018 e
bilancio pluriennale per il triennio 2018-2020)
• Ministero dell’ambiente e della tutela del territorio e del mare
• End of 2018 The Italian Ministry asks ENEA to coordinate the
«Technical Board»
•
• Main Objectives (summary, details can directly be found in the Law):
• National P uses
• Best practices for P recovery from waste
• Support in legislation to improve P recovery and uses;
• Diffusion of information.
European Sustainable Phosphorus Platform (ESPP)
https://phosphorusplatform.eu/
Italian Phosphorus Platform
Several pages in the document
P recovery from waste according to the P-Rex Project
Country Quantity
Germany 13
Denmark 4
Spain 2
The Nederland 10
Japan 10
China 2
… …
Italia 0
Example of cases of P recovery plants according to the P-REX
Project(Sustainable sewage sludge management fostering phosphorus
recovery and energy efficiency, 7PQ).
Data since 2017
7
Italian Survey for Technologies and Best
practices for P recovery and P uses
Survey sent to Municipality, University, Research Centre,
Pubblic amministrations, Associations, Private company, etc.
• 17 forms were received back
• 7 forms classified as Best practices
• 8 forms classified as Technologies
• 2 No information for Best pratice or technology
• 16 forms refer to sludge, wastewater and digestate
TRL Quantity
9 8
8 1
7 1
4 2
N.A. 5
EU nutrient research & development projects
9
Document of 237 pages
132 Projects
Global P flow, 2000
10
Approx. 23%
Studies on EU P cycle
11
Study on EU-15 P cycle
(Ott and Rechberger, 2012)
12
• The annual net per capita P use in the EU-15 was 4.7 kg/ca/y, of
which only 1.2 kg/ca/y (i.e. 25%) reached the consumer
• After use there was little recycling (0.77 kg P/ca/year, i.e. 16% )
• Large fractions of the surplus P accumulated in agricultural soils (2.9
kg P/ca/year, 62%)
• Accumulated in landfills (1.4 kg P/ca/year, 30%)
• Enter to the hydrosphere (0.55 kg P/ca/year, 12%).
The authors propose that Europe's P import can significantly be reduced
by optimising
• P fertilization,
• Collecting and recycling of P-rich wastes,
• Improve connection of households to sewer systems,
• Implementing tertiary wastewater treatment as a P-removing step in
wastewater treatment plants.
Phosphorus use in the EU-27 in 2005
Van Dijk et al., 2016
13
Study on EU-27 P Fluxes
Van Dijk et al., 2016
14
• Total P import in EU-27 in 2005 amounted to 2392 kton P/year.
• Most of the import was used for mineral fertiliser (1399 kton/y, 58%)
• Total export was 251 kton P/year (10%; mainly crop and food
products, 216 kton P/year)
• 924 kton P/y (39%) accumulated in agricultural soils
• 1217 kton P/y (51%) lost from the system
• Most of the lost was from solid and liquid waste (655 kton P/y, 27%)
• “There are relatively large opportunities to use P more efficiently and
effectively, including decreasing P losses from the system and
increasing the recycling of P in residues and wastes”
Per capita P supply
15
Italy shows a low P supply for detergents Italy
Fertiliser P consumption in EU-27 in 2010 Source: FAOSTAT and Van Dijk et al.
16
Italy
EU Agricultural P balances
17
Source:
Van Dijk et al.,
Italy
EU-27 P losses of different sectors in 2005
18
Wastewater
Scientific papers on SCOPUS
phosphorous or phosphorus AND recovery
(AND Italy) (AND wastewater) (AND waste)
[Article title, Abstract, Keywords]
Italy/total = 2.7%
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
0
100
200
300
400
500
600
700
800
An
d I
taly
Pu
bb
lica
zio
ni
Totali
And wastewater
And waste*
and Italy
Scientific papers on SCOPUS
phosphorous or phosphorus AND recovery
(AND wastewater) - (AND waste)
[Article title, Abstract, Keywords]
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
40
% P
ubb
lica
zio
ni co
n w
aste
wa
ter
opp
ure
wa
ste
*
And wastewater/totali (%)
And waste*/totali (%)
21
Source: P-Rex, FP7 project, www.p-rex.eu; based on Eurostat 2010,
Milieu Ltd 2010 & Destatis 2011. Van Dijk et al.
Sludge destinations in EU-27 in 2010
22
Associazione Italiana per lo Sviluppo dell’Economia Circolare
Italian Association for the Development of the Circular Economy
L’AISEC attempts to collaborate with public agencies, private
companies and non profit organisations to support circular
economy principles and sustainable development
Italian Circular Economy
Stakeholder Platform
Signing
24
Signing
25
Signing
Funding?
Objective
CICERONE will establish a platform which will determine
the priorities and pathways for coordinated R&I for circular
economy.
Funding? CICERONE
CICERONE: partnership
24 organisations
CICERONE
SRIA (Strategic Research and Innovation Agenda)
31
Source
NSF (National Science
Foundation), U.S. DOE (U.S.
Department of Energy), and U.S.
EPA (U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency), 2015. Energy-
Positive Water Resource Recovery
Workshop Report. Workshop Date:
April 28–29, 2015. Arlington, VA.
Introduction
32
P is essential for life
Although the primary P is renewed on a time scale of millions of years,
the present known reserves are estimated to be exhausted within 50–
400 years depending on P supply and demand dynamics.
Why P supply should be a problem?
33
Supply is unstable and reserves are inequitably distributed geographically
Geo-politics: conflicts and instability at source. Sanctions, export tariffs and
quotas
34
Demand for P
35
• Population growth (urbanisation in developing
country)
• Change of diets: livestock and dairy based food
(increasing meat consumption)
• Biofuels: algae and bioenergy crop production
• Loss of arable land
36
Water pollution level per river basin related to human-induced phosphorus
loads from the agricultural, industrial and domestic sectors from 2002-2010.
Basins with a water pollution level above 1 received more phosphorus than
they could assimilate.
Human activity released 1.62 million tons of phosphorus into the
world's freshwater bodies each year. The largest contribution came from
domestic sewage (54 %), followed by agriculture (38 %) and industry (8%).
https://phys.org/news/2018-01-phosphorus-pollution-dangerous-worldwide.html
P as polluter
37
EUROPEAN COMMISSION
Brussels, 26.5.2014
COM(2014) 297 final
COMMUNICATION FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE EUROPEAN
PARLIAMENT, THE COUNCIL, THE EUROPEAN ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL
COMMITTEE AND THE COMMITTEE OF THE REGIONS
On the review of the list of critical raw materials for the EU and the implementation of
the Raw Materials Initiative
{SWD(2014) 171 final}
Economic importance
Su
pp
ly r
isk
Critical raw materials
38
EUROPEAN COMMISSION
Brussels, 26.5.2014
COM(2014) 297 final
COMMUNICATION FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE EUROPEAN
PARLIAMENT, THE COUNCIL, THE EUROPEAN ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL
COMMITTEE AND THE COMMITTEE OF THE REGIONS
On the review of the list of critical raw materials for the EU and the implementation of
the Raw Materials Initiative
{SWD(2014) 171 final}
EUROPEAN COMMISSION
Brussels, 26.5.2014
COM(2014) 297 final
COMMUNICATION FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE EUROPEAN
PARLIAMENT, THE COUNCIL, THE EUROPEAN ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL
COMMITTEE AND THE COMMITTEE OF THE REGIONS
On the review of the list of critical raw materials for the EU and the implementation of
the Raw Materials Initiative
{SWD(2014) 171 final}
EUROPEAN COMMISSION
Brussels, 26.5.2014
COM(2014) 297 final
COMMUNICATION FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE EUROPEAN
PARLIAMENT, THE COUNCIL, THE EUROPEAN ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL
COMMITTEE AND THE COMMITTEE OF THE REGIONS
On the review of the list of critical raw materials for the EU and the implementation of
the Raw Materials Initiative
{SWD(2014) 171 final}
Raw
materials
Main
producers
(2010, 2011,
2012)
Main
sources of
imports into
the EU
(mainly
2012)
Substitutabil
ity index*
End-of-life
recycling
input rate**
Phosphate
rock
China 38 % Morocco 33%
0.98 0% USA 17 % Algeria 13%
Morocco 15 % Russia 11%
List of 20 CRM
Critical raw materials
39
EUROPEAN COMMISSION
Brussels, 26.5.2014
COM(2014) 297 final
COMMUNICATION FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE EUROPEAN
PARLIAMENT, THE COUNCIL, THE EUROPEAN ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL
COMMITTEE AND THE COMMITTEE OF THE REGIONS
On the review of the list of critical raw materials for the EU and the implementation of
the Raw Materials Initiative
{SWD(2014) 171 final}
Raw
materials
Main global
producers
(average 2010-2014)
Main importers
to the EU
(average 2010-
2014)
Sources
of EU supply
(average 2010-2014)
Import
relianc
e rate*
Substitutio
n indexes
EI/SR**
End-of-life
recycling
input
rate***
Phosphate
rock
China (44%)
Morocco (13%)
United States (13%)
Morocco (31%)
Russia (18%)
Syria (12%)
Algeria (12%)
Morocco (28%)
Russia (16%)
Syria (11%)
Algeria (10%)
EU – Finland (12%)
88% 1.0 / 1.0 17%
Phosphorus
China (58%)
Vietnam (19%)
Kazakhstan (13%)
United States (11%)
Kazakhstan (77%)
China (14%)
Vietnam (8%)
Kazakhstan (77%)
China (14%)
Vietnam (8%)
100% 0.91 / 0.91 0%
EUROPEAN COMMISSION
Brussels, 13.9.2017
COM(2017) 490 final
COMMUNICATION FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE EUROPEAN
PARLIAMENT, THE COUNCIL, THE EUROPEAN ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL
COMMITTEE AND THE COMMITTEE OF THE REGIONS
on the 2017 list of Critical Raw Materials for the EU
EUROPEAN COMMISSION
Brussels, 13.9.2017
COM(2017) 490 final
COMMUNICATION FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE EUROPEAN
PARLIAMENT, THE COUNCIL, THE EUROPEAN ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL
COMMITTEE AND THE COMMITTEE OF THE REGIONS
on the 2017 list of Critical Raw Materials for the EU
Critical raw materials
40
(*) The 'Import reliance rate' takes into account global supply and actual EU sourcing in the
calculation of Supply Risk, and it is calculated as follows: EU net imports / (EU net imports + EU
domestic production).
(**) The ‘Substitution index’ is a measure of the difficulty in substituting the material, scored and
weighted across all applications, calculated separately for both Economic Importance and Supply
Risk parameters. Values are between 0 and 1, with 1 being the least substitutable.
The economic importance is corrected by the Substitution Index (SIEI) related to technical and
cost performance of the substitutes for individual applications of each material. The supply risk is
corrected by the Substitution Index (SISR) related to global production, criticality and co-/by-
production of the substitutes for individual applications of each material.
(***) The ‘End-of-life recycling input rate’ measures the ratio of recycling from old scrap to EU
demand of a given raw material, the latter equal to primary and secondary material supply inputs
to the EU.
Raw materials Import
reliance rate*
Substitution
indexes EI/SR**
End-of-life
recycling input
rate***
Phosphate rock 88% 1.0 / 1.0 17%
Phosphorus 100% 0.91 / 0.91 0%
41
• Sedimentary Phosphate deposits represent approx. 80% of
the world’s phosphate. Grades typically range between
10% - 30% P2O5
• Commercial grades of phosphate rock concentrate vary
from about 27% to 36% P2O5.
• The grade of most mined ore is below the commercial-
grade range requiring processing.
Source:
42
Geological Survey of Finland stakeholder magazine 2/2015
Finland’s reported phosphate rock resources amount to
2,360 million tonnes. The average phosphorus (P2O5 )
content is 4.0 %.
Finland is the only EU country with significant
P-rock resources
43
Source:
Changes in EU-27 P inputs 1961-2009
44
Phosphate Fertiliser Consumption in Developed &
Developing Countries
45
Global fertilizer P consumption 1961-2010
Source: FAOSTAT and Van Dijk et al.
46
Production vs demand
47
Source:
Growth of new markets such as Latin America and
India will result in increasing demand
EU new Regulation on fertilisers
48
On 27 March 2019 the UE Parlament approved new rules for fertilisers
Some information (very roughly, the document has more than 300
pages!)
• Applied by the EU Countries in 2022;
• Try to promote the use of fertilisers from organic matter and
secondary raw materials in accordance to circular economy (waste
to resource);
• Possibility of using «new fertilisers»;
• Limit for cadmium at 60 mg/kg. (Can be revised).
• Biostimulants
50