Cannabis News
As Europe rethinks fertilizer supply, a German biogas pilot turns waste into fertilizer nutrients
Finnish cleantech company NPHarvest has launched a pilot plant at Biogas Westerbakum GmbH & Co. KG in Lower Saxony, Germany, marking its entry into Europe’s largest biogas market. The demonstration unit will operate for 4 months and is designed to continuously process around 20 cubic meters per day of liquid digestate – the nutrient-rich by-product left after biogas production – and recover around 26 tonnes per year. The project allows operators to extract useful nutrients directly from side streams, turning digestate from a management cost into a commercial resource. As Germany tightens nutrient regulations under EU nitrate limits, the installation shows how biogas facilities can boost compliance while improving asset productivity.
The demo unit began operation on March 10, and was monitored through online data and routine laboratory analysis during the first month of operation. Initial results have also been cross-checked with an external laboratory in Oldenburg, showing results from external measurements consistent with NPHarvest’s internal analysis.
Under the EU’s Nitrates Directive, nitrogen application in vulnerable areas is limited to 170kg per hectare per year, and Germany has introduced stricter fertilizer regulations to reduce nutrient excesses and nitrate levels in groundwater. In a country with more than 9,700 biogas plants in operation, the sector is increasingly constrained by digestate expansion limits and rising transport costs, reshaping the economics of nutrient management. At the same time, the fertilizer market remains volatile, creating demand for locally produced nutrients. By recovering nitrogen and phosphorus directly from biogas side streams, NPHarvest allows operators to reduce excess while creating a salable product that would otherwise be a compliance burden.
“Biogas plants were designed to produce renewable energy, but they also create nutrient streams of high untapped value,” said Dr. Juho Uzkurt Kaljunen, CEO of NPHarvest. “We see nutrient recovery as a structural breakthrough for the sector, enabling operators to improve 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 go hand in hand.”
© NPHarvest
Unlike many conventional nutrient recovery systems, which require energy-intensive unloading or long-distance transport, NPHarvest’s membrane-based process recovers nitrogen and phosphorus with low operational energy and simplified dosing, allowing for 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 operated reliably under real digestate conditions, supporting the case for integration into existing biogas infrastructure. The system is offered as a plug-in to the existing infrastructure, without affecting the operation of the plant.
The German pilot is based on the company’s industrial-scale demonstration at a biogas plant in Ankara, Turkey, where the system validated its performance in a commercial operational environment.
Founded as a spinout of Aalto University, NPHarvest has secured €2.2 million in pre-funding from internal investors Nordic Foodtech VC and the Finnish Ministry of the Environment, and has recently been selected for an additional €1.2 million in support as part of 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 were compared to conventional synthetic fertilizers. Building on these milestones, NPHarvest is expanding into key European biogas markets, where regulatory pressure and cost of nutrient transport are accelerating demand for localized nutrient recovery solutions.
“The level of interest in this facility has been very encouraging. We have already seen a great deal of participation from operators and other industry players who see nutrient recovery as a practical answer to a growing challenge in the biogas sector,” said Milan Hofmann, managing director of 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 clearly a demand for solutions that can turn this burden into a useful product with economic value.”
“Greenhouse growers are particularly exposed to fertilizer cost and supply pressures, so the ability to recover nutrients locally is a very interesting development. Although this pilot is focused on biogas side streams, the broader implication is that a more circular and resilient input model of recovered nitrogen and phosphorus can also be applied to horticulture,” concludes Juho Uzkurt Kaljunen.
For more information:
NPHarvest
Email: (email protected)
npharvest.fi/
Aurora Cannabis has been granted Plant Breeder’s rights in Canada for two cannabis cultivars developed through its global breeding program. This certificate gives Aurora exclusive rights to grow, propagate and sell finished products produced from these varieties.
The two protected cultivars, SOT20R07-007 (known as Gas Granja) and SOT20R07-005 (known as Driftwood Diesel), were developed at Aurora Coastal, Aurora’s industry-leading research and development facility in Comox, British Columbia. The company carefully selected these cultivars based on their unique characteristics, how they grow and how consistently they perform. Farm GasT and Driftwood DieselT are the leading medical cannabis products available to patients in Germany, Poland, the UK, Canada and Australia.
© Aurora Cannabis
“These plant breeder rights recognize the extensive work behind our core breeding, genetic development and testing program,” says Lana Culley, Aurora’s Vice President of Innovation and International Operations. “They reflect a cross-disciplinary approach to developing cultivars that provide consistency, performance and reliability to medical cannabis patients around the world.”
Understanding plant breeders’ rights in Canada
Plant breeders’ rights are a form of intellectual property protection, similar to patents, that apply specifically to new and different plant varieties. In Canada, plant breeders’ rights are granted by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) and give growers exclusive rights to produce and sell a protected plant variety. This framework recognizes the significant scientific investment required to develop cultivars that are clearly distinct and produce the same results over time. For Aurora, plant breeders’ rights protect the cannabis genetics developed through its in-house breeding program, supporting ongoing innovation and long-term research.
For more information:
Aurora Cannabis Inc.
auroramj.com
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A perspective paper to be published in Frontiers in Horticulture addresses the widespread but inconsistent use of the term “sustainable growing media” in the horticultural and greenhouse sectors. The publication, written by an international team of researchers and industry experts including Dr Alexander Sentinella of Growing Media Europe, examines how the term has been diluted and proposes a more rigorous evidence-based approach.
“The term is used to mean almost anything and everything,” said Dr. Sentinella. “Along with terms like ‘green’ or ‘climate friendly’, they start to lose their helpful meaning.” The authors argue that this lack of precision undermines research comparability and decision-making in commercial production.
Misconceptions and oversimplification
The article highlights the common tendency to equate sustainability with a single characteristic, such as renewable, circular or peat-free. “People conflate sustainability with individual concepts like climate footprint or renewables, but these are not interchangeable,” he explains. Labels such as “non-toxic” are identified as particularly problematic, as they are often interpreted as an indication of environmental benefit without support.
“‘Peat-free’ means there’s no peat in the mix. It doesn’t show a lower environmental impact or better sustainability unless that’s actually measured.” The authors warn that these assumptions risk misleading growers and managers.
A multi-dimensional and system-dependent concept
Central to the article is the recognition that the sustainability of growing media encompasses three interrelated pillars: environmental, economic, and social. Environmental impacts include not only the climate footprint, but also land and water use. Economic sustainability includes cost, availability and consistency, while social sustainability covers working conditions, health and safety.
“A product may work well environmentally, but not economically or socially. These trade-offs are unavoidable and must be accepted.” The paper emphasizes that sustainability cannot be attributed to individual materials in isolation, but must be assessed within the entire production system.
“Growing media are part of a larger horticultural system. A substrate with a smaller product footprint that reduces yield can lead to a worse overall outcome when the impacts on total production are considered.”
© Growing Media Europe
From hypotheses to measurement
To improve clarity, the authors advocate measurable system-based assessments. Life cycle methodologies are identified as critical tools, including environmental Life Cycle Assessment (LCA), Life Cycle Costing (LCC) and Social Life Cycle Assessment (S-LCA). The latter follows the framework developed by the United Nations Environment Program and SETAC, which allows for the assessment of impacts between workers, communities and supply chains.
“Most conversations focus on reducing footprints, but we really need to measure them. The results may not match expectations, which is why measurement is necessary.”
The paper also notes that social impact continues to be emphasized in today’s evaluations, despite the availability of methodologies that consider factors such as labor rights, occupational health and community effects along the value chain.
Guidelines for the responsible use of the term
Rather than proposing a universal definition, the authors outline minimum requirements for the responsible use of the term “sustainable growing medium”. These include explicitly defining the scope of claims, identifying which sustainability pillars are addressed and supporting statements with verifiable data. Absolute claims are abandoned in favor of comparative and context-specific language.
“The best step forward is to use more precise terminology,” advises Dr. Sentinella. “If you mean lower environmental impact, say so and measure it.”
Implications for industry and policy
The findings have practical implications for producers, suppliers and policy makers. The paper cautions against relying solely on proxy indicators such as peat reduction as a measure of sustainability. “If policies focus on a single attribute, there is a risk of neglecting wider impacts. We must base decisions on results measured in environmental, economic and social dimensions.”
The authors conclude that progress in sustainable growth media will depend less on redefining the term and more on improving how evidence is generated and communicated. “It is better to say ‘more sustainable’ and explain why. Clear definitions and measurable indicators are essential for progress in the greenhouse sector.”
Be careful last published paper.
For more information:
Growing Media Europe
Dr. Alexander Sentinella, co-author
(email protected)
www.growing-media.eu
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