Ground breaks for new phosphorus recovery plant in Schkopau 

Construction began on Germany’s first full-scale phosphorus recovery plant with a groundbreaking ceremony on 26 May 2025. The facility in Schkopau, Saxony-Anhalt, will produce RevoCaP, a clean phosphorus product recycled from sewage sludge using the Ash2Phos process and will boost Europe’s self-sufficiency. 

Phosphorus is essential for agriculture, yet Europe is almost entirely dependent on imports. By replacing imports from countries like Russia and Morocco, the plant will help improve food security and support a more resilient European economy. By recovering phosphorus from sewage sludge ash, the Schkopau plant will contribute to a circular economy and greater self-sufficiency in the EU. 

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, since it meets the purity standards for animal feed. Yet EU rules introduced during the BSE crisis still ban recycled phosphorus in feed – despite the original risk being eliminated by modern processes. In the Ash2Phos technology, the sludge is incinerated, and any pathogens are destroyed before the phosphorus is extracted.  

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 Ragn-Sells Group CEO Lars Lindén. 

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. 

"With this investment, we’re closing the loop on one of agriculture’s most vital resources. The Schkopau plant will reduce Europe’s reliance on imports and contribute to more sustainable and independent food production," says Jan Svärd, CEO of EasyMining. 

Phosphorgewinnung Schkopau (PGS), the joint venture between EasyMining, part of Ragn-Sells, and the German infrastructure and utility company Gelsenwasser, 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. 

The plant in Schkopau is the world’s first phosphorus recovery plant using the Ash2Phos technology. A second Ash2Phos plant, operational in 2028, will be built in Helsingborg, Sweden. 

For more information, please contact: 
Jan Svärd, CEO, EasyMining (Ragn-Sells Group), +46 70 978 64 74, jan.svard@easymining.com 
Debby Porter Laffitte, Press Officer, Ragn-Sells Group, +46 10 723 24 00, press@ragnsells.com