The article explains how digestate — the wet by-product of anaerobic digestion — is being transformed from a bulky waste into a premium organic fertiliser and energy source. It highlights multiple upgrade technologies such as mechanical dewatering, thermal drying, pelletisation, struvite precipitation and water recycling, allowing facilities to recover nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium and also reuse water.
It emphasises both the economic benefits (reduced disposal costs, revenue from energised processes, premium pricing for processed products) and the environmental advantages (lower greenhouse gas emissions, less reliance on synthetic fertilisers, conservation of finite resources, improved water quality) of such valorisation paths.
The article suggests the future of digestate lies in its integration into circular-economy models: waste becomes input for high-value outputs, helping to close nutrient loops while enhancing sustainability.
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