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Producing advanced bio-based fertilizers from fisheries wastes

Project description

Fishery and aquaculture by-products for healthier soils

Good news for farmers and environmentalists! Bio-based fertilisers (BBFs) can decrease soil contamination and greenhouse gas emissions. Moreover, they can be produced from the recovery of nutrients from fish processing and aquaculture by-products. Based on the circular economy model, the EU-funded SEA2LAND project will promote the production of large-scale fertilisers in the EU from own raw materials. This solution is expected to reduce the soil nutrient imbalance in Europe. To test the solution, the project will produce several BBFs for local crops and conditions as well as others for exporting (with high value and effectiveness to ensure a low environmental impact). Eventually, the BBFs will partially replace imported nutrients for agriculture in Europe.

Objective

SEA2LAND aims to provide solutions to help overcome challenges related to food production, climate change and waste reuse. The SEA2LAND project will meet this challenge by improving and adapting technologies for nutrient recovery to produce biobased fertilizers (BBFs) from fish processing and aquaculture byproducts. It will promote the production of large-scale fertilizers in the EU from own raw materials, based on the circular economy model, transforming by-products into nutrients for crops. SEA2LAND will contribute to the independence and security in the supply of nutrients to European agriculture, reducing the nutrient imbalance in Europe. The basis of the project is the regional production of BBFs developing demonstration pilots that can be replicated throughout Europe, boosting local growth. The project proposes the implementation of 9 technologies in 7 cases in 6 areas representative of the fisheries sector (North, Baltic, Atlantic, Cantabric, Mediterranean, Adriatic Sea). The proposed technologies range from well-known processes (bokashi, composting, etc.) that can be a solution in some areas due to its low cost and simplicity to others more sophisticated that go from thermo-mechanical fractionation to enzymatic hydrolysis. The technologies will be applied to different by-products (typical in each implementation area), and they will produce several BBFs either for local crops and conditions, and others for exporting (with high value and effectiveness to assure a low impact).
BBFs will be characterized to ensure compliance with EU regulations, including those related to organic farming. Besides, the effects on soil biodiversity, environmental sustainability and the impact on social parameters and local economy will be studied and business plans will be defined. Finally BBFs from by-products will serve to partially replace imported nutrients for agriculture in Europe, contributing to reduce the negative environmental effects of the misuse of by-products.

Call for proposal

H2020-RUR-2018-2020

See other projects for this call

Sub call

H2020-RUR-2020-1

Coordinator

NEIKER-INSTITUTO VASCO DE INVESTIGACION Y DESARROLLO AGRARIO SA
Net EU contribution
€ 614 293,75
Address
BERREAGA KALEA 1
48160 Vizcaya
Spain

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Region
Noreste País Vasco Bizkaia
Activity type
Research Organisations
Links
Total cost
€ 877 562,50

Participants (26)