Finnish cleantech company NPHarvest has launched a pilot installation at Biogas Westerbakum GmbH & Co. KG in Lower Saxony, marking its entry into Germany, Europe's largest biogas market. The demonstration unit will operate for 4 months, and is designed to continually process approximately 20 cubic meters per day of liquid digestate – the nutrient-rich byproduct left after biogas production – and recover up to approximately 26 tons per year. The project enables operators to extract usable nutrients directly from side streams, turning digestate from a management cost into a commercial resource. As Germany tightens nutrient regulations in line with EU nitrate limits, the installation shows how biogas facilities can strengthen compliance while improving asset productivity.
The demo unit began operating on March 10, with performance monitored through both online data and regular laboratory analysis during the first month of operation. Initial results have also been cross-checked with an external laboratory in Oldenburg, with external measurements showing results closely aligned with NPHarvest's internal analysis.
Under the EU Nitrates Directive, nitrogen application in vulnerable zones is capped at 170 kg per hectare per year, and Germany has introduced stricter fertilizer regulations to reduce nutrient surpluses and nitrate levels in groundwater. With more than 9,700 biogas plants in operation in the country, the sector is increasingly constrained by limits on digestate spreading and rising transport costs, reshaping the economics of nutrient management. At the same time, fertilizer markets remain volatile, creating demand for locally produced nutrient inputs. By recovering nitrogen and phosphorus directly from biogas side streams, NPHarvest enables operators to reduce surplus while generating a saleable product from what would otherwise represent a compliance burden.
"Biogas plants were designed to produce renewable energy, but they also generate nutrient streams with substantial untapped value," said Dr. Juho Uzkurt Kaljunen, CEO of NPHarvest. "We see nutrient recovery as a structural advancement for the sector, enabling operators to enhance asset productivity without expanding their physical footprint. Germany sets the benchmark for biogas operations in Europe, and by integrating nutrient recovery into existing infrastructure, it has the opportunity to lead the next phase of the industry, where energy production and resource efficiency advance together."
© NPHarvest
Unlike many conventional nutrient recovery systems that require energy-intensive stripping or long-distance transport, NPHarvest's membrane-based process recovers nitrogen and phosphorus with low operational energy and simplified dosing, enabling modular integration into existing biogas infrastructure. NPHarvest's technology is capable of capturing up to 90% of nitrogen and phosphorus from liquid waste streams and converting them into key inputs for fertilizer production, including ammonium sulfate and calcium phosphate. During the first weeks of operation, the unit performed reliably under real digestate conditions, supporting the case for modular integration into existing biogas infrastructure. The system is offered as a plug-in to existing infrastructure without affecting the existing operations of the plant.
The German pilot builds on the company's industrial-scale demonstration at a biogas plant in Ankara, Türkiye, where the system validated its performance in a commercial operating environment.
Founded as a spinout from Aalto University, NPHarvest has secured €2.2 million in prior funding from investors including Nordic Foodtech VC and the Finnish Ministry of the Environment, and was recently selected for up to €1.2 million in additional support under Business Finland's Deep Tech Accelerator program. In addition to the industrial-scale demonstration in Ankara, the company has validated its technology through field trials at the University of Helsinki's Viikki research farm, where recovered nitrogen and phosphorus performed on par with conventional synthetic fertilizers. Building on these milestones, NPHarvest is expanding deployments across key European biogas markets where regulatory pressure and nutrient transport costs are accelerating demand for localized recovery solutions.
"The level of interest around this installation has been very encouraging. We have already seen strong engagement from operators and other industry stakeholders who view nutrient recovery as a practical answer to a growing challenge in the biogas sector," said Milan Hofmann, Managing Director at Varea Water, NPHarvest's regional project developer in Central Europe and the UK. "Plants are under increasing pressure to manage digestate more efficiently, and there is clear demand for solutions that can turn that burden into a usable product with economic value."
"Greenhouse growers are especially exposed to fertilizer cost and supply pressures, so the ability to recover nutrients locally is a very interesting development. While this pilot is focused on biogas side streams, the broader implication is that recovered nitrogen and phosphorus could support a more circular and resilient input model for horticulture as well," concluded Juho Uzkurt Kaljunen.
For more information:
NPHarvest
Email: [email protected]
npharvest.fi/
