RESEARCH AREA 1: DESIGN OF OPTIMAL MICROBIAL COMMUNITY FOR P-RECOVERY

PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR:
Per Halkjær Nielsen (Section of Biotechnology, Aalborg University)

AIM:
To design the biological P removal process so the most efficient P-accumulating bacteria are present in the system and to optimize their P-release in digesters.

DELIVERABLES:
Knowledge about the best PAO composition in the WWTP for efficient P-capture in the plant and subsequent P-release in digesters, and recommendation about the best operation of the plant to obtain such PAO composition.

RESEARCH AREA 2: P-POOLS IN WASTEWATER TREATMENT PLANTS AND DIGESTERS

PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR:
Kasper Reitzel (Department of Biology, University of Southern Denmark)

AIM:
To identify P forms in wastewater, surplus sludge and digester and to develop several interrelated unit operations, which convert P in wastewater sludge into P suitable for production of pure and valuable P feedstock.

DELIVERABLES:
A complete description of P-pools in WWTPs and digesters and a pilot scale “proof of concept” process for efficient conversion of organic P from sewage into inorganic P.

RESEARCH AREA 3: PRODUCTION OF WELL-DEFINED P PRODUCTS

PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR: 
Haiyan Qu (Institute of Chemical Engineering, Biotechnology and Environmental Technology, University of Southern Denmark)

AIM:
To develop a multi-step reactive crystallization process to recover and to produce market competitive P products.

DELIVERABLES:
A well-designed and optimized P-recovery from digester effluents process to produce high purity calcium phosphate and struvite. 

RESEARCH AREA 4: RECOVERY OF P BY USE OF MEMBRANES PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR

PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR:
Morten Lykkegaard Christensen (Section of Biotechnology, Aalborg University)

AIM:
To increase P yield and obtain clean effluent by simultaneous concentration and precipitation of P in a membrane crystallizer. To obtain P precipitates with high purity which are easy to dewater resulting in a concentrated product.

DELIVERABLES:
A membrane crystallizer that can be used for concentration and precipitation of phosphate from low concentration feeds. A guideline for operating crystallizers to obtain high purity product that is easy to remove from the liquid phase.