EasyMining’s recycled phosphorus fertiliser cleared for organic use

“We’re working hard to find how RevoCaP will have the most use and where its application will be most useful. For me, that means figuring out what kind of trials we need to prove the product’s effectiveness for the end users and customers, and what partners we can cooperate with to get there” says Åström.

Produced through Ash2Phos, EasyMining’s proprietary technology for reclaiming phosphorus from incinerated sewage sludge, RevoCaP is a highly pure, non-crystalline calcium phosphate. It has multiple potential uses, but its core applications are agricultural – as a raw material in fertiliser production, as a slow-release fertiliser directly applied on its own, and as a feed phosphate.

In May, the European Commission officially approved recovered phosphorus for use as fertiliser in organic farming. As a result, the EU’s entire organic agricultural market is now open to RevoCaP – a product which Åström notes has been shown to result in stable reserves of phosphorus accumulating in the soil through repeated applications. “That makes it ideal for regenerative and organic systems focused on long-term soil fertility,” she says.

Confirming RevoCaP fertiliser potential

Part of what makes RevoCaP unique as a calcium phosphate fertiliser is its high levels of purity and a slow-release quality. However, Åström says that the extended release of phosphorus can be adjusted to fit conventional farming needs when it's a raw material for fertiliser production. 

“With additional processing, it's possible to use RevoCaP to make a fast-release fertiliser. But if you keep it as it is, there’s a natural slow release,” she explains.

To fully understand the effects of such qualities, EasyMining commissioned a theoretical study of RevoCaP at the beginning of this year. Grobruket, a Swedish agricultural consultancy and cultivation firm, carried out the study using a Decision Support System for Agrotechnology Transfer (DSSAT) program to simulate agricultural crop growth with RevoCaP in different kinds of soils and other conditions over time.

“A key takeaway was that it is possible, for sure, to both raise the phosphorus level in the soil while simultaneously having a higher crop yield with RevoCaP as a fertiliser. And we had the best results for high-value crops, like tomatoes,” says Åström.

The study also found indications that RevoCaP is more effective when organic residues are left in the soil – a popular agricultural strategy for regenerative and organic farming. 

Yet despite these breakthroughs and milestones, there’s still more to be done.