NPHarvest Launches Industrial-Scale Wastewater Nutrient Recovery Demo At Biogas Plant In Ankara

Finnish cleantech startup NPHarvest has unveiled an industrial-scale demo unit at the Aslan Biomass biogas plant in Türkiye. It recovers nitrogen and phosphorus from wastewater, critical raw materials for sustainable fertilizer production amid tightening EU restrictions on Russian imports. The demo unit shows that the company’s technology is scalable, energy-efficient, and reliable.

Finnish cleantech startup NPHarvest, which specializes in recovering nutrients from wastewater with up to 90% efficiency, has officially launched its first industrial-scale Nutrient Catcher demo unit at the Aslan Biomass biogas plant in Ankara, Türkiye. Launched in collaboration with the Ankara Water and Sewerage Administration General Directorate (ASKI), the project marks a significant step forward for scalable nutrient recovery in Europe.

Russia’s share of EU fertilizer imports has grown from 17% in 2022 to 30% now. In 2024 alone, imports rose by more than 33% to around $2B (€1.75B). With the EU announcing new significant tariffs on Russian fertilizers, European agriculture is facing the prospect of fertilizers doubling in cost by 2028. Pressure to find alternative sources fast is at an all-time high to prevent further economic volatility for millions in the EU and ensure food security, a critical building block for Europe’s defense.

“Nutrients for fertilizers can not be sourced from geopolically risky sources. On the other hand, we cannot let valuable nutrients be wasted in the wrong places, causing problems for the environment. Thus, a cost-efficient way to reduce GHG emissions and manage wastewaters, manure, and other liquid waste in compliance with regulations is highly needed. NPHarvest delivers just that – a win-win-win for all stakeholders,” says Mika Kukkurainen, Partner at Nordic Foodtech VC, an investor in NPHarvest.

NPHarvest’s patented industrial-scale system provides a circular, energy-efficient solution for recovering critical nutrients, such as nitrogen and phosphorus, directly from wastewater streams, including black water, liquid digestate, and manure.

The modular technology produces high-purity ammonium sulfate and amorphous calcium phosphate, both essential raw materials for fertilizer production, by utilizing hydrophobic membrane stripping. The process operates without the need for heating, pressure, or aeration, relying solely on alkaline and acid dosing, which makes it highly cost-efficient and easy to operate.

In Ankara, NPHarvest’s technology is expected to recover approximately 93 tonnes of ammonium sulfate and up to 73 tonnes of phosphorus-based product in a year’s time, with the potential to recover 3,255 tonnes of ammonium sulfate and 2,555 tonnes of phosphorus-based product through a full-scale installation. These recovered nutrients would otherwise be lost in wastewater, often leading to environmental damage and wasted economic potential.

“This demo project is not just proof that our system works, it’s a signal that the demand for secure local nutrient sources is real, and growing,” says Juho Uzkurt Kaljunen, CEO and founder of NPHarvest. “We’re building the infrastructure Europe needs to replace imported fertilizers with local, sustainable alternatives, and Ankara is our first industrial-scale validation. We aim to be the go-to partner for anyone seeking to source or sell recycled nutrients.”

The Aslan Biomass facility, which previously trucked nutrient-rich wastewater to regional fields and farms, is reaching its capacity for nutrient load. It will now recover resources on-site, cutting environmental impact and operating costs. Türkiye, with over 2,000 wastewater treatment plants and a growing cleantech ecosystem, offers significant expansion potential for nutrient recovery technologies.

“At ASKİ, protecting groundwater is our legal responsibility. We prioritize the safe disposal and reuse of liquid and solid waste from biogas facilities to prevent environmental harm. By recovering organomineral fertilizers, we return valuable nutrients like nitrogen and phosphorus to the cycle and lower waste treatment costs. Uncontrolled discharge of liquid waste can pollute groundwater and harm soil, plants, and ecosystems. That’s why our collaboration with NPHarvest is strategically important – it supports sustainable waste management and advances nutrient recovery through innovative technology,” says Nurçin Bozkurt, Head of R&D at ASKİ.

“As a representative of NPHarvest, we are very pleased to see this project being launched in Ankara. In the sewage sludge project we are working on as GAPP A.Ş. in Ankara, we see that we can overcome a major obstacle related to the resulting wastewater thanks to NPHarvest’s technology. We aim to continue this successful collaboration in Istanbul and Izmir as well,” says Kayhan Ural, NPHarvest representative in Türkiye.

After Ankara, the nutrient catcher demo unit will move to the next location in Europe, announced in the fall of 2025.

“Waste is not actually waste; it’s an asset that companies can turn into a viable income stream. We want to praise Türkiye for being entrepreneurial and having the willingness to adopt new solutions at the fast pace required for scaling new technologies,” says Sara Ikonen, COO of NPHarvest.

About NPHarvest
NPHarvest, a spinout from Aalto University, is reducing reliance on imported nutrients with its patented technology.

NPHarvest grows the net value of wastewater by efficiently capturing, refining, and recirculating nutrients in a way that has not been possible before. This creates cost savings and a positive environmental impact for wastewater treatment facilities, biogas plants, and animal farms, while also being easy to operate.

Today, NPHarvest is building its first industrial-scale demo with €2.2M funding raised from industry-leading investors such as Nordic Foodtech VC and the Finnish Ministry of the Environment.

NPHarvest’s team has also won numerous awards for their groundbreaking work, including four awards for academic research, and several pitching awards such as “Save the Baltic Sea 2025” and European Biomethane Week’s “Inspiration Challenge 2024”

For more information, visit www.npharvest.fi.