This project's main objective is the commercialisation of a breakthrough technology for upgrading livestock manure to an improved fertiliser. The overall aim of the project is to fundamentally improve global food production, by increasing productivity and reducing emissions. The technology enables farmers to produce environmentally friendly fertiliser on the farm using slurry or biogas digestate, air and electricity. The technology is a manure processing unit that consists of a plasma reactor, an absorption system and a plasma generator with power supply. The consortium consists of three organisations, ScanArc Plasma Technologies AS, University of Antwerp and N2 Applied. The plasma technology for treating livestock manure, is an innovative technology with the following benefits: • providing a cost-effective alternative to chemical fertiliser, and thus improving farm economics • ensuring compliance with stricter environmental regulations, which in turn mitigates risk for farmers and ensures business continuity • reducing emissions in the farm-cycle and thus contributing to reducing greenhouse gases and air pollution • removing odour, giving the farmer flexibility in spreading, optimising the fertilising effect of manure, which reduces nutrient loss and pollution. This FTI proposal consists of the following measurable objectives: 1. Optimisation of the plasma reactor, with a focus on improving the energy efficiency 2. Optimisation of the absorption system, with a focus on increasing the processing capacity 3. Develop a commercial unit design for serial production with stable continuous operations and low maintenance 4. Piloting and testing to verify the performance of the organic fertiliser 5. Communication and dissemination University of Antwerp is developing the plasma technology to make nitrogen fixation from air a valid alternative to fossil fertiliser production, Scanarc develops the plasma units and N2 develops the total concept for the farmer.

The GREENHOOD project pioneers a comprehensive approach to address the global challenge of unbalanced nutrient flows in regional ecosystems. Operating across four European countries and one associated region, GREENHOOD focuses on re-balancing nutrient flows and reducing N/P emissions through five key strategies: a) Participatory Approach: Engaging diverse stakeholders through capacity building, governance labs, and cross-regional exchange activities to ensure inclusive decision-making. b) Estimation of Maximum Allowable Nutrient Inputs: Utilizing optimized budgeting methodologies, including novel modeling tools and socio-economic data, to assess the impacts of new balancing practices. c) Demonstration of Effective Nutrient Management Strategies: Leveraging insights from previous R&D experiences to develop and demonstrate solutions for nutrient excess prevention, reduction, and recycling in key sectors such as agriculture, wastewater treatment, aquaculture, and forestry. d) Establishment of Regional Nutrient Circular Economy Schemes: Creating schemes to close nutrient flow gaps between sectors like livestock-agriculture and aquaculture-agriculture, evaluating the agronomic performance and market uptake of bio-based fertilizers and by-products. e) Innovative Governance Measures: Showcasing governance measures to incentivize the adoption of nutrient-balancing solutions, collaborating with regional administrators and supporting existing policies. GREENHOOD also emphasizes effective dissemination and exploitation of results by collaborating with strategic initiatives like CCRI and Mission projects, as well as conducting regional twinning programs. Through these efforts, GREENHOOD aims to pave the way for societies to operate within safe ecological boundaries while meeting socioeconomic needs.

N2 Applied (N2) is a Norwegian technology company with a mission to fundamentally improve global food production by increasing yield and reducing emissions. N2 has developed a patented technology, SmartNitroFarm, that enables local production of environment-friendly fertiliser using slurry or digestate, air and electricity. SmartNitroFarm is a ground-breaking alternative to chemical fertilisers, which reduces greenhouse gas emissions, reduces odour, stops ammonia loss and air pollution. These effects are proven through external field trials and research projects with renowned institutions. SmartNitrofarm significantly contributes to the Green Deal’s ambition to be the first climate-neutral continent by 2050, through providing a solution that implies a huge step in sustainable and circular agriculture. N2’s unique innovation uses plasma technology to increase the nutrient content in manure, giving increased yield to farmers. In addition, using SmartNitroFarm in Danish dairy farms, show a reduction in carbon footprint of 27% and a reduction of respiratory inorganics of 53%. The unique aspect is that we tackle the manure challenges related to nutrient loss and emissions at the source, solving major pain points for farmers. Funding from this EIC project is needed to bridge the gap from current technology level into a commercially attractive solution. N2 Applied holds proprietary know-how and IPR and technological competence that ensures a strong competitive advantage. The overall project objective is to commercialise SmartNitroFarm and thus ensure the succesful development of the SME N2 Applied AS. The project is divided into 5 work packages to prepare the solution for market entry: Production of pilot units and commercial design, on farm piloting, sustainability assessment of environmental benefits, business development and finally to communicate the possibilities with SmartNitroFarm.