ManuREfinery – Smart modular mobile biorefining of manure to zero-waste maximising resource and nutrient recovery for feed and fertiliser bioingredients in rural areas
Project description
MANUREFINERY is a European research and innovation project aimed at developing smart, modular and mobile biorefinery systems for the efficient conversion of livestock manure into value-added products. The project contributes to reducing the environmental impact of livestock farming, improving resource efficiency and advancing the circular bioeconomy in rural areas.
Livestock farming is essential to European agriculture, but it also contributes to methane and ammonia emissions. Inadequate manure management can lead to soil degradation and the pollution of surface water and groundwater. MANUREFINERY therefore develops technological solutions for more efficient manure and slurry processing, enabling the recovery of nutrients, energy and other valuable resources.
The project’s main objective is to develop a small-scale, decentralised biorefinery that combines thermochemical and biotechnological processes to convert livestock manure into feed and fertiliser ingredients and other bio-based products. Its modular and mobile design allows the technologies to be adapted to the needs of individual farms and livestock production systems.
Main Activities and Results
The project focuses on developing and integrating different manure-processing technologies, including nutrient capture and recovery, anaerobic digestion and the thermochemical conversion of solid residues. These solutions will enable the production of energy, feed and fertiliser ingredients, and other valuable raw materials.
Other important activities include the development of digital twins for process monitoring and optimisation, the assessment of environmental, economic and social impacts, and the preparation of business models to support the wider adoption of the developed technologies.
The solutions will be tested at four demonstration sites in three European countries: Romania, Spain and Slovenia.
Slovenian Demonstration Site – DEMO 4
The Agricultural Institute of Slovenia (KIS) participates in the development and implementation of the Slovenian demonstration site, DEMO 4, which focuses on the valorisation of solid manure residues from dairy farming. KIS participation is led by Dr Viktor Jejčič.
The demonstration will involve the development and testing of a technological system for processing digestate from a biogas plant. The system will separate digestate into solid and liquid fractions and enable efficient drying of the solid fraction, which will subsequently be used as feedstock for gasification.
Through gasification, solid residues will be converted into synthesis gas (syngas), primarily containing hydrogen (H₂), carbon monoxide (CO) and methane (CH₄), along with other valuable products.
The Slovenian demonstration site will showcase opportunities for integrating thermochemical technologies into existing livestock manure management systems, reducing residual waste and making more efficient use of available resources on farms.
Partnership
The project is coordinated by Instituto Tecnológico de Aragón (Spain).
The international consortium brings together research institutions, universities, technology companies, agricultural sector representatives and other organisations involved in developing, testing and evaluating innovative manure-processing solutions.
Funding
MANUREFINERY receives support from the Circular Bio-based Europe Joint Undertaking (CBE JU) and its members under the Horizon Europe programme.