ICONS leads the communication, dissemination and community management of a new EU funded project

WalNUT is the new EU funded project that develops technological solutions to re-design the value and supply chains of nutrients from wastewater and brine. Such solutions help make the wastewater sector more sustainable, reducing water pollution, and developing an alternative to chemical fertilisers.

Several are the objectives of the project:

• Analyse inter and intra-regional EU nutrient imbalances

WalNUT will map the current situation within EU-27 on waste water streams generation, nutrient distribution and relevant legal frameworks, establishing the baseline against which to compare innovation and progress of bio-based fertilisers based on nutrient recovery.

• Develop sustainable and resource-efficient technological solutions for nutrient recovery

WalNUT will select 5 most promising technologies for nutrient recovery to be scaled up in 5 pilot plants at different key sites, pursuing the economic profitability of the bio-based fertilisers obtained while minimising environmental risks and impact.

• Environmental and socio-economic impact assessment of the proposed solutions

Through the adoption of life-cycle models, WalNUT will measure the impact produced by the solutions for nutrient recovery on climate change, human and ecosystem health, biodiversity and resource scarcity.

• Assess the agronomic efficiency of safe bio-based fertilisers

A wide range of nutrient-rich output products will be produced and evaluated for different agronomic applications, evaluating their potential to replace conventional, non-renewable minerals.

WalNUT’s ambition is fully aligned with the agenda set by the EU Green Deal strategy and the priorities of the EIP on Agrifood and Raw Materials, promoting a robust and resilient agri-food sector.

The project is run by a consortium of 14 partners, including leading research centres and universities, as well as companies in the area of energy, water technology and bio-based fertilisers.

Beside communication and dissemination, ICONS is responsible for the community management activities.