BioStruvi

The project focuses on developing the operation of the struvite production pilot plant located at the Huittinen Wastewater Treatment Plant in order to improve phosphorus recycling from wastewater in our society. The aim is to produce a higher-quality and cleaner fertilizer from wastewater compared to traditional sludge-based fertilizers. The use of struvite as a fertilizer would also indirectly help mitigate the impacts of climate change.

The pilot equipment acquired during the BioP-Rec project will be used in the trial runs to produce struvite, while the operation of the equipment and process will be further developed to become faster and more cost-efficient. The growth of struvite crystals will also be studied in order to improve crystal separation and enable better fertilizer applications.

In addition, the project will assess the potential of biological phosphorus removal to operate year-round in Finnish conditions and explore methods for improving process efficiency. The project will also investigate and evaluate the usability, profitability, and overall phosphorus recovery efficiency of the BioP process and struvite production.

The project implementation period is from 1 October 2024 to 30 November 2025.

The project is funded by the Ministry of the Environment of Finland.

During the project, a blog article has been published: (in Finnish) kasvihuonetuotannon sivujakeiden hyödyntämisestä.

The elements and harmful substances contained in struvite crystallized from BioP sludge at the Huittinen Wastewater Treatment Plant were analyzed at the University of Oulu in two separate batches. (1,2). 

The effects of magnesium hydroxide in continuous laboratory-scale biogas reactor experiments were studied in the project by Häme University of Applied Sciences. (In Finnish) Click: Magnesiumhydroksidin vaikutuksista jatkuvatoimisissa laboratoriomittakaavan biokaasulaitoskokeissa 

A study commissioned from the Tampere University examined the release of nutrients from BioP sludge. (In Finnish) Click: ravinteiden vapautumista BioP-lietteestä.

The project’s final webinar was held on 18 November 2025, and the presentation materials are available on the event page. (In Finnish) Click:  loppuwebinaari 

 

You can also explore the final report covering the entire BioStruvi project. (In Finnish) Click: loppuraporttiin.

 

Additional information:

Julia Pihlavisto-Hakala
julia.pihlavisto-hakala@prizz.fi
050 4342 163