Nutrient Recycling Challenge

This challenge is externally hosted.

You can view the challenge details here: https://www.innocentive.com/ar/challenge/9933114

Description

The Nutrient Recycling Challenge was a prize competition that EPA launched in 2015 in collaboration with 20 organizations to spur development of affordable technologies that recover nitrogen and phosphorus from dairy and/or swine manure and create value-added products that producers can use or sell. To build on the successes of the Nutrient Recycling Challenge, in 2019, the EPA signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with The Water Research Foundation (WRF) to accelerate progress on reducing excess nutrients in the nation’s waterways. For more information on the MOU, visit https://www.epa.gov/npdes/epa-memorandum-understanding-water-research-foundation-advancing-nutrient-management-efforts.

For information on Animal Feeding Operations (AFOs), visit https://www.epa.gov/npdes/animal-feeding-operations-afos, and for information on uses of animal manure, visit https://www.epa.gov/npdes/animal-feeding-operations-afos#manure.

Overview

Every year, livestock producers manage over a billion tons of animal manure containing valuable nutrients—nitrogen and phosphorus—that plants need to grow. A major use of manure is as a renewable fertilizer, but it should be used properly to minimize water pollution and build healthy soils. In addition, there is a tremendous opportunity to generate environmental and economic benefits from manure by-products, but further innovation is needed to develop more effective and affordable technologies that can extract nutrients and create products that farmers can use, transport, or sell more easily to where nutrients are in demand. The mission of the Nutrient Recycling Challenge was to help find technologies that are a win-win for the environment, farmers, and the economy.

Phase II Program

Phase II (2016-2017) of the Nutrient Recycling Challenge was a non-competitive incubation program to support innovators as they developed Technology Designs based on the Concept Papers submitted in Phase I. EPA and its Partners supported the innovators with informational webinars and workshops, individualized feedback, and other resources to maximize their ability to develop designs for effective and affordable technologies.

• Nutrient Recycling Challenge Phase II Announcement Factsheet (Nov. 2016)
• Nutrient Recycling Challenge Phase II FAQs (Oct 2016)

Background: Phase I

EPA received 75 concept papers from around the world in Phase I (2015), and selected 34 submissions to continue on to Phase II of the challenge. On March 30, 2016, EPA announced the winners and awarded a total of $30,000 in cash prizes to the top 10 submissions (four “Winners” and six “Honorable Mentions”). The 34 selected submissions were also invited to the Nutrient Recycling Challenge DC Summit in Washington, DC on March 30-31, 2016, during which the winners received their awards at a ceremony at the White House Eisenhower Executive Office Building. The summit provided a forum for innovators to meet Partners, experts, and other innovators, as well as learn about resources to develop their ideas into real-life technologies. EPA sought to create a “brain trust” to design nutrient recovery technologies to achieve what both farmers and the environment need.

• Nutrient Recycling Challenge DC Summit_Final Agenda
• Nutrient Recycling Challenge Phase I Selections
• Nutrient Recycling Challenge Phase I Planning Committee and Judging Panel

Documents from Phase I of the challenge:

• Nutrient Recycling Challenge Competition Information, Criteria, and Guidelines
• Background Information on Nutrient Recovery Technologies and Pork and Dairy Production

 

EPA Press Release winners & DC Summit: 3/30/2016

EPA Press Release Phase I launch: 11/11/2015

Follow the Nutrient Recycling Challenge:

Facebook: EPAwater is Worth It

Twitter: @EPAwater

Tweet about it: #nutrientrecycling

Challenge website: https://www.challenge.gov/challenge/nutrient-recycling-challenge/

Contact: nutrientrecyclingchallenge@epa.gov

Nutrient Recycling Challenge Partners:

American Biogas Council

American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers

Ben & Jerry's

Cabot Creamery Cooperative

Cooper Farms

CowPots

Dairy Farmers of America

Innovation Center for U.S. Dairy

Iowa State University

Marquette University

National Milk Producers Federation

National Pork Producers Council

Newtrient, LLC

Smithfield Foods

Tyson Foods

U.S. Department of Agriculture

U.S. Department of Energy

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

Washington State University

Water Environment & Reuse Foundation

World Wildlife Fund

Prizes

Phase I Winner! Manure Convertor Paulee Cleantec Ltd. - Dr. Ilan Levy and Oded Halperin
Cash Prize Amount: $6,000

Phase I Winner! Producing Nutrients Concentrated Bio-solids via AnSBEARs - University of Minnesota - Bo Hu, Hongjian Lin, and Xin Zhang
Cash Prize Amount: $6,000

Phase I Winner! Removal of Dissolved N and P from Livestock Manure by Air Stripping - Centrisys Corporation, cnp-Technology Water and Biosolids Corporation - Hiroko Yoshida, Gerhard Forstner, and Josh Gable
Cash Prize Amount: $6,000

Phase I Winner! Slurry Separation with Coanda Effect Separator - Bravespec Systems Ltd. - Ahimbisibwe Michael
Cash Prize Amount: $6,000

Phase I Honorable Mention: Azolla- Biological way of nutrient recovery wallenberg Laboratory - Tulika Arora
Cash Prize Amount: $1,000

Phase I Honorable Mention: Ammonia + Recovery - Ocean Foresters and PRD Tech, Inc. - Mark Capron and Rakesh Govind
Cash Prize Amount: $1,000

Phase I Honorable Mention: DVO Inc. Advanced Phosphorus Recovery System DVO, Inc. - Doug VanOrnum
Cash Prize Amount: $1,000

Phase I Honorable Mention: Nutrient Recycling by Lime Treatment and Precipitation of Inorganic Salts power and Water Corporation, Flinders University of South Australia and KU Leuven (Belgium) jordan Phasey, Howard Fallowfield, and Dries Vandamme
Cash Prize Amount: $1,000

Phase I Honorable Mention: The Production of Renewable Low Carbon Transportation Fuels and Nutrient Concentrated By-Products through the AWS System - Agricultural Waste Solutions, Inc. and Scott Bros. Dairy Farms - Michael Bagtang, Bruce Scott, and Steve McCorkle
Cash Prize Amount: $1,000

Phase I Honorable Mention: Recycle Nutrients from Livestock Manure and Create Valuable Products - Trident Processes, LLC and Soil Net LLC. - Kerry Doyle, Tracey Mrak, Dr. Roa-Espinosa, and Richard Shatto
Cash Prize Amount: $1,000

Rules

This challenge is closed.