Clockwise from top left to bottom left: Tim Bunthoff, Authorised Signatory PG Schkopau GmbH, Martin Braunersreuther & Anna Lundbom, Management of PG Schkopau GmbH and Hannah Mengelkamp, Legal Counsel and Authorised Signatory, Dow Olefinverbund GmbH Phosphorgewinnung Schkopau GmbH (PGS) signed a land lease agreement for its future site of the world's first Ash2Phos plant at Dow ValuePark® Schkopau on 24 March 2025 after six months of preparation.
“Securing this lease agreement is a milestone in our strategy to establish sustainable phosphorus recovery. The plant will be the first step on the way to processing today's waste into valuable products and thus creating a truly circular economy,” says Anna Lundbom, Managing Director of PGS.
The Ash2Phos technology developed by EasyMining, a member of environmental company Ragn-Sells, is used at the plant site. It allows more than 90 percent of the phosphorus to be extracted from the ash produced during sewage sludge incineration. In addition to fertiliser or feed phosphate, iron chloride, sodium aluminate and sand are also obtained as products that can be made directly available to the market.
The total investment for the plant is in the high double-digit million-euro range. The plant is scheduled to go into operation at the beginning of 2027, and the ground-breaking ceremony is planned for the end of May 2025.
“The world's first Ash2Phos plant at the Schkopau site will increase resource efficiency as well as contribute to reducing our dependence on phosphorus imports. With our plant, we are supporting German legislation on the mandatory recovery of phosphorus from sewage sludge by 2029,” adds Martin Braunersreuther, Managing Director of PGS.
PGS has received co-financing from the state of Saxony-Anhalt for the realisation of its project, a further commitment to Saxony-Anhalt as a business location.
“This is an important milestone for Phosphorgewinnung Schkopau GmbH and for the ValuePark,” says Kristan Soto, Managing Director of Dow in Central Germany, the operator and owner of the ValuePark chemical site. “We are delighted to welcome another newcomer who is using environmentally friendly technology with the Ash2Phos process and is committed to a sustainable circular economy. PGS fits in perfectly with our vision of attracting innovative and sustainable companies to ValuePark.”
The companies
Phosphorgewinnung Schkopau GmbH (PGS) was founded in 2021 by GELSENWASSER AG and EasyMining Services Sweden AB to build the first Ash2Phos plant in Germany. This first industrial-scale plant will be built at the Schkopau Chemical Park in Saxony-Anhalt and will have a capacity of 30,000 tonnes of ash from incinerated sewage sludge per year. The plant will receive ash from the mono-incineration plant in Bitterfeld-Wolfen, but can also treat ash from other mono-incineration plants. PHOSPHORGEWINNUNG SCHKOPAU (www.pg-schkopau.de)
EasyMining develops and implements sustainable processes on an industrial scale that create a genuine circular economy. By processing waste materials into essential nutrients for plants and animals, EasyMining enables a more sustainable use of resources. Particular emphasis is placed on feeding these valuable materials into the respective cycles in a clean and marketable form and quality. EasyMining is part of the Ragn-Sells Group, a private group of companies active in waste management, environmental services and recycling in Northern Europe. www.easymining.com/de
GELSENWASSER AG
All life comes from water - that's how Gelsenwasser was born! Founded in 1887 in the Ruhr area to supply the coal and steel industry and the people of the region with water, Gelsenwasser is now one of Germany's largest water supply companies. Resource conservation is very important to the company. The Gelsenwasser logo has reflected this orientation for over 50 years: The blue river in a green landscape stands for sustainable, responsible management of resources - this applies to all business areas. Infrastructure and supply are the focal points: from water and wastewater to energy (gas, electricity, wind, PV, heat), digital, industrial parks (life science, chemicals) and the circular economy (sewage sludge incineration plus phosphorus recycling). www.gelsenwasser.de
About the ValuePark ® / Dow Olefinverbund GmbH
The ValuePark® is an industrial park with sites in Schkopau in southern Saxony-Anhalt and Böhlen near Leipzig. It is operated and developed by Dow Olefinverbund GmbH, a subsidiary of the international Dow Group. The traditional chemical sites are home to almost 30 national and international companies. By attracting preferably plastics producers and processors, logistics companies and research and technology service providers, synergies are created between the investors and Dow, while at the same time promoting the economic development of the region. Around 3,000 people are employed at both sites, plus a further 1,000 indirect employees. http://www.dow.de/valuepark
For press enquiries:
Press office EasyMining Germany
Dr. Daniel Frank
Phone: 0160 30 88 324
E-mail: Daniel.Frank@easymining.com
Press office Gelsenwasser
Heidrun Becker, André Ziegert
Phone: 0209 708-247
Fax: 0209 708-292
E-mail: pressestelle@gelsenwasser.de
EasyMining develops and implements sustainable industrial-scale processes that create true circularity. We convert elements from waste into essential nutrients for plant and animal growth. We are owned by Ragn-Sells Group, a privately held corporate group involved in waste management, environmental services, and recycling in Northern Europe. www.easymining.com
