Project

Call for Partners | Recovery and Electrochemical Valorisation of Ammonia from Effluent Streams (REVIVAL)

Wageningen Food & Biobased Research (WFBR) seeks partners to co-develop a new electrochemical platform for selective recovery and valorisation of ammonia from aqueous waste streams, REVIVAL. Building on expertise with electromembrane systems, the project focuses on recovering ammonia as pure ammonia or ammonium sulphate, and converting it into high-value products such as ammonium nitrate and urea. We invite industrial and research partners to jointly develop, evaluate, and demonstrate this sustainable solution.

Introduction

Nitrogen (ammonia) plays a crucial role in agriculture and industry but is also a major contributor to nitrogen pollution in water bodies. The recovery and valorisation of ammonia from wastewater streams are key to addressing environmental challenges, achieving nitrogen reduction targets, and advancing the circular economy.

Current wastewater treatment systems often remove ammonia through energy-intensive processes like nitrification-denitrification, ammonia-stripping, and other conventional processes. which result in nitrogen loss, greenhouse gas emissions and the use of chemicals. Building on our successful experience with electromembrane technologies, WFBR proposes REVIVAL: an innovative approach to selectively recover ammonia from aqueous streams and electrochemically convert it into valuable products, such as fertilisers or energy carriers.

This new strategy not only minimises nitrogen losses but also creates opportunities for sustainable valorisation of wastewater resources. REVIVAL offers a low-energy, scalable solution for industries and municipalities aiming to meet stricter nitrogen regulations and resource recovery ambitions.

Project description

The REVIVAL project focuses on recovering ammonia from wet streams and transforming it into valuable products such as fertilisers or energy carriers. To make this happen, the project combines research and testing through the following activities:

  1. Process development of a new electromembrane technology for selective recovery of ammonia
  2. Lab-scale evaluation of various real feedstocks from end-users
  3. Electrochemical conversion of recovered ammonia into products (e.g. ammonium nitrate, urea, calcium ammonium nitrate)
  4. Lab-scale process evaluation for selected products
  5. Evaluation of the integrated system for recovery and conversion
  6. Demonstration using real wastewater streams with performance monitoring
  7. Process modelling, techno-economic & environmental assessment

REVIVAL offers partners the opportunity to co-develop new, scalable solutions that help:

  • Reduce nitrogen pollution in water
  • Create valuable products from streams considered waste
  • Support resource efficient practices

Looking for partners

We are looking for partners to co-develop and demonstrate the REVIVAL solution for recovering and valorising ammonia from waste streams. We welcome collaboration with industrial and municipal wastewater treatment operators, technology providers in electromembrane and electrochemical systems, and companies committed to sustainable nitrogen management and ammonia.

We invite both in-kind contributions (e.g., expertise, equipment, demonstration sites) and financial co-funding, with participation involving cost-sharing.

Partners will gain early access to an innovative ammonia recovery and conversion platform, with applications across key sectors including water treatment, agriculture, chemicals, and energy.

Together, we can transform wastewater challenges into valuable circular opportunities.