Today is the groundbreaking ceremony in Schkopau for the new phosphorus recovery plant using the Ash2Phos process to boost Europe's self-sufficiency.
On 26 May 2025, in the presence of Prof. Dr Armin Willingmann, Minister for Science, Energy, Climate Protection and the Environment in Saxony-Anhalt, the groundbreaking ceremony for the world's first phosphorus recovery plant using the Ash2Phos process took place.
“The innovative phosphorus recovery plant will be an example of how environmental protection and resource conservation also pay off economically,” says Willingmann. "I am delighted that Gelsenwasser and EasyMining are investing in this sustainable technology here in Saxony-Anhalt. Saxony-Anhalt can thus once again distinguish itself as an attractive business location and as a state of future technologies. As a state with a strong agricultural sector, Saxony-Anhalt will also benefit from having to import less phosphorus from abroad in the future thanks to its own recycling capacities."
Phosphorgewinnung Schkopau (PGS) GmbH is building the recovery plant with a capacity of 30,000 tonnes of sewage sludge ash on the site of the DOW ValueParks over the next two years. The plant is scheduled to go into operation in 2027.
Phosphorgewinnung Schkopau GmbH (PGS) is a joint venture between EasyMining, part of the Swedish environmental company Ragn-Sells, and the German infrastructure and utility company Gelsenwasser. Using EasyMining's Ash2Phos technology, the plant recovers more than 90 per cent of the phosphorus from sewage sludge ash. The European Commission recently approved the phosphorus-containing product, RevoCaP, for use in organic farming. It can also be used as a conventional fertiliser.
The process also recovers other substances, such as iron and aluminium chemicals for reuse as precipitants in sewage treatment plants, as well as sand. The developers of EasyMining emphasise that the process efficiently extracts pollutants from the material cycles and does not merely dilute or immobilise them.
"If we are serious about creating a sustainable society, we need to reuse the resources we have already extracted over and over again. This is especially true for critical raw materials, such as phosphorus," says Lars Lindén, Managing Director of Ragn-Sells, the parent company of EasyMining.
Phosphorus is essential for agriculture, yet Europe is almost entirely dependent on imports. In 2024, the European Union imported phosphorus fertiliser and phosphate worth around 3.97 billion euros from non-EU countries. By recovering phosphorus from sewage sludge ash, the plant in Schkopau will contribute to a circular economy and greater self-sufficiency in the EU.
Germany was the first country in Europe to regulate phosphorus recovery by law. From 2029, all sewage treatment plants must recover most of the phosphorus from sewage sludge. The plant in Schkopau will help to fulfil this legal requirement and serves as a model for large-scale nutrient recovery throughout the EU.
Henning Deters, Chairman of the Management Board of GELSENWASSER AG, says: "The establishment of clean phosphorus recycling promotes Germany's independence from a vital raw material and leads to a high reduction of pollutants in the material cycle. By mono-incinerating sewage sludge and recovering phosphorus from the ash, we process waste from municipal wastewater treatment and strengthen water and soil protection in Germany."
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
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
