Research project RePHoRM
Project name Regional phosphorus recycling in the Rhine-Main area under consideration of industrial and agricultural material cycles
Acronym RePhoRM
Institute IWAR, Chair of Wastewater Technology
Project partner
  • Technische Universität Darmstadt, Institut IWAR, Fachgebiet Stoffstrommanagement und Ressourcenwirtschaft, Darmstadt
  • TVM Thermische Verwertung Mainz GmbH, Mainz
  • Stadt Frankfurt am Main, Stadtentwässerung Frankfurt am Main
  • Infraserv GmbH & Co. Höchst KG, Frankfurt am Main
  • Becker Büttner Held Rechtsanwälte Wirtschaftsprüfer Steuerberater PartGmbB, Berlin
  • Glatt Ingenieurtechnik GmbH, Weimar
  • Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft, Fraunhofer-Einrichtung für Wertstoffkreisläufe und Ressourcenstrategie IWKS, Alzenau
  • Entega Abwasserreinigung GmbH & Co. KG, Darmstadt
  • Abwasserverband Langen/Egelsbach/Erzhausen, Langen
Duration 01.07.2020 – 31.05.2023 (Phase 1)
Grantor Federal Ministry of Education and Research
Project content The joint project RePhoRM develops and implements a technological as well as organisational joint solution for phosphorus recycling in the Rhine-Main area. Based on the mono-sludge incineration capacity and its potential expansion in the Frankfurt Rhine Main metropolitan region, a cooperative phosphorus recovery from sewage sludge ash is to be implemented. In accordance with the Hessian resource protection strategy, a fertiliser granulate is produced as a phosphorus recyclate which can be used directly to close the regional nutrient cycle in agriculture. When implementing phosphorus recycling, the particular interests of the partners in the network must be taken into account with regard to the technology for phosphorus recovery and the formation of a phosphorus recycling network. From a technological point of view, the aim is to remove heavy metals from the sewage sludge ash before the actual phosphorus recovery. Therefore, the project will further develop the PHOS4green technology for the production of fertilizer granules by removing heavy metals from (input) sewage sludge ash and implement the process on a large scale in Industriepark Höchst. In addition to an economic and ecological study of phosphorus recycling, the integrated solution will be legally assessed and organised.
Projecthomepage