Project description
Optimising biowaste to improve soil fertility
As biowaste constitutes 34 % of the EU's municipal waste, its recycling is key in helping the EU meet its recycling target (65 %) by 2035. Biowaste can contribute to a circular economy by providing soil-improving material, fertiliser, and biogas. Biochar is pure charcoal from biomass pyrolysis; it improves soil fertility and acts as a carbon sink. However, its adoption is currently hindered by lack of evidence. Biogas from anaerobic digestion is a renewable energy source, but its effluents disposal (i.e. digestates) reduces its profitability. In this context, the EU-funded FENIX project will combine biochar and digestates in a soil amender formulation and will test its effectiveness in three European countries. Successful results will help to improve soil quality, mitigate climate change, and promote sustainable biowaste management.
Objective
With a share of 34 %, bio-waste is the largest single component of municipal waste in the EU. Recycling of bio-waste is key for meeting the EU target to recycle 65 % of municipal waste by 2035.
Bio-waste can significantly contribute to a more circular economy, delivering valuable soil-improving material and fertiliser as well as biogas, a source of renewable energy.
Biochar is a pure, high carbon form of charcoal, obtained through the pyrolysis of biomass, such as bio-waste. Biochar helps regenerate soils by enhancing water-holding capacity, nutrient uptake, soil fertility stimulating microbial activity and diversity and acts as a carbon sink.
However, a lack of understanding and evidence of the agronomic benefits and economic returns mean that biochar faces barriers to become a widespread soil improver.
Biogas from anaerobic digestion (AD) is a renewable energy source. Yet the cost of disposal of its effluents (digestates) reduces profitability and uptake of new AD projects, even though the digestate is rich in nutrients and can be used as a biofertilizer.
Research shows that the combination of digestate and biochar creates a biofertilizer with increased fertility, improved stability and excellent soil regeneration properties. Furthermore, biochar could be a powerful additive to enhance microbiological activity in AD plants.
The FENIX project will optimise Biochar for different soils using AD digestate. FENIX will demonstrate the agronomic and economic returns of its soil improver in field tests (TRL 8) in three countries in the West and South of Europe. FENIX brings together partners that cover the full value chain and with entrepreneurs that will be ready to take up the project results.
Successful completion of the project will contribute to the recovery of abandoned poor soils, increase EU’s soil quality and water retention capacity, climate change mitigation, secure and independent energy supply, and sustainable bio-waste management.
Fields of science (EuroSciVoc)
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
- engineering and technology environmental engineering waste management waste treatment processes recycling
- social sciences economics and business business and management entrepreneurship
- social sciences sociology demography fertility
- agricultural sciences agricultural biotechnology biomass
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Programme(s)
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
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HORIZON.2.6 - Food, Bioeconomy Natural Resources, Agriculture and Environment
MAIN PROGRAMME
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HORIZON.2.2 - Culture, creativity and inclusive society
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HORIZON.2.4 - Digital, Industry and Space
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HORIZON.2.3 - Civil Security for Society
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Topic(s)
Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Funding Scheme
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
HORIZON-IA - HORIZON Innovation Actions
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Call for proposal
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
(opens in new window) HORIZON-MISS-2022-SOIL-01
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Net EU financial contribution. The sum of money that the participant receives, deducted by the EU contribution to its linked third party. It considers the distribution of the EU financial contribution between direct beneficiaries of the project and other types of participants, like third-party participants.
18071 GRANADA
Spain
The total costs incurred by this organisation to participate in the project, including direct and indirect costs. This amount is a subset of the overall project budget.