Unique German Fertiliser Production Plant Celebrates Roofing Ceremony

Seraplant and Glatt Ingenieurtechnik have jointly developed an innovative technology for residue-free production of phosphate-containing fertiliser granulates from sewage sludge ash.

Fertiliser manufacturer Seraplant from Haldensleben, Germany, recently celebrated the roofing ceremony at a production plant for phosphate-containing single and complex fertilisers for agriculture and forestry use.

The company collaborated with renowned plant constructor and process expert, Glatt Ingenieurtechnik from Weimar, to jointly develop innovative technology for this unique-in-Germany plant. This involves the recovery of phosphorus from sewage sludge ashes and its residue-free conversion into standard fertilisers according to the Fertiliser Ordinance. Glatt was also in charge of planning and implementation, from raw material supply — via suspension processing and subsequent fluidised bed spray granulation — to the finished fertiliser.

Seraplant is investing 22 million dollars in this innovative production facility at Haldensleben with support from the state of Saxony-Anhalt and will create more than 20 new jobs. The project will be supported with almost 5.5 million dollars of finance from the ‘improvement of the regional economic structure’ joint funding programme, states the firm.

Production is planned to start in the fourth quarter of 2020. The plant is designed for an annual production of 60,000 tonnes of phosphate fertiliser, with end users expected to be conventional and organic agricultural businesses, agricultural and horticultural wholesalers as well as the fertiliser industry.
The entire process is completely waste-free. No dangerous intermediate products, residues or exhaust gases are produced during the process. The project thus makes a significant contribution to the sustainable use of the vital resource: phosphorus. Although Germany has no natural phosphorus deposits, this process is now making indigenous resources available again, avoiding the need to import this coveted nutrient, adds the company.

Legislation will make the recovery of phosphorus from sewage sludge mandatory in the near future. As such, operators of large sewage treatment plants are looking for alternatives that enable these requirements to be met today.

Find out more about phosphorus recycling on an industrial scale in Haldensleben