| dc.description.abstract | Traditional strategies for nutrient cycling focus on individual technologies or individual nutrients but neglect to address the important linkages between nutrients. Understanding a waste biomass system with regards to multiple nutrients provides a more holistic understanding of the potential for waste to meet local nutrient needs and reduce the environmental impacts of mineral fertilization. In this report, material flow analysis (MFA) is used to develop a system understanding of The Company’s technology and create a multiple layer nutrient model for the region of Trøndelag. A literature study is conducted to quantify the regional nutrient flows, improve understanding of The Company’s unique process parameters, and improve understanding of nutrient use in soil. The Company’s model is set up to define their nutrient capture efficiencies once data acquisition proceeds. The literature study highlights the importance of compost maturity and biochar ageing to ensure a positive nutrient effect upon application. Soil fertility is closely tied to the carbon in soil which must be managed simultaneously with other plant nutrients to ensure more efficient nutrient use in soil. Further treatment of digestate or compost by drying provides a nutrient rich product that can be more easily transported and applied where and when it is needed. Waste biomass flows are estimated within the region and their nutrient compositions are characterized using literature values. Nutrient flows in Trøndelag are dominated by animal manures. There is enough Phosphorus and Potassium present to meet Trøndelag mineral and organic fertilizer demand, but not enough Nitrogen. If Phosphorus demand limits application to limit environmental impacts, then waste biomass is unable to meet the demand for the other nutrients and most of the nutrients are lost or exported from the region. Scenario analysis reveals that carbon content in waste biomass is a limiting factor in upscaling composting or biogas treatments. Due to the variability in biomass and treatment process parameters, the uncertainty of nutrient flows is high. | |