The Dutch Waterboard Vallei & Veluwe (WVV) announced recently that their Amersfoort WWTP will soon produce the commercial fertiliser Crystal Green® through the installation of Ostara’s Pearl® technology. The new facility is part of the Waterboard efforts to transform their Amersfoort WWTP into an Energy and Nutrient recovery facility. In order to provide long term guaranteed revenue from the produced fertiliser, ELIQUO arranged a guaranteed off-take agreement between the Waterboard and Ostara.

As part of the realization of Omzet.Amersfoort, Ostara’s Pearl® nutrient recovery technology was implemented by ELIQUO to recover and transform valuable nutrients to a high-value continuous release fertiliser called Crystal Green®, which is European Certified in the category with the highest quality fertilisers. The new facility is expected to produce approximately 900 tonnes of Crystal Green® annually.

At the transformed Amersfoort WWTP, all indigenous sludge produced as well the sludge produced at the WWTP’s of Soest, Nijkerk and Woudenberg will be centrally digested at the new facility. The process of digestion is being enhanced with ELIQUO's LYSOTHERM® TPH technology, in order to increase the biogas production by “cracking” the sludge structures under high temperature and pressure. As a result, the new facility will produce sufficient energy to treat all the wastewater from the City of Amersfoort on a 100% energy-autonomous basis, as well a surplus to provide 600 households with green electricity during the year.

All new Amersfoort facilities are designed and being built by the Dutch company ELIQUO WATER & ENERGY BV and are currently in the final stage of commissioning. Recently the new nutrient recovery facility was commissioned and by signing the agreement, Ostara will now guarantee a long-term offtake to the Waterboard of all produced Crystal Green® fertiliser for the next years.

By using the WASSTRIP ® and Pearl® technologies, phosphorous and nitrogen are recovered from the liquid wastewaters and transformed in a fluidized bed reactor into Crystal Green®. This product is composed of phosphorous, nitrogen and magnesium (5-28-0-10Mg), and is marketed by Ostara through a global network of blenders and distributors to professionals in the turf, horticultural and agriculture sectors. Its unique Root-Activated™ mode of action improves crop yields, enhances turf performance and significantly reduces leaching and minimizes runoff, thus protecting local waterways from nutrient pollution.

Since the project start ELIQUO cooperated extensively with Ostara in order to implement the Pearl® technology at a first European mainland wastewater treatment plant. Pearl® technology knowledge, as well as realisation experience and capabilities are firmly embedded in the ELIQUO organisation. ELIQUO will therefore continue to include the WASSTRIP® and Pearl® technologies in offering solutions in their target markets throughout Europe and Australia.