ENhancing Bio-nutrient Recovery of Organic Waste (ENBioROW)

Summary:

IntelliDigest has developed a bio-upcycling robot, iDigest, that enables the recovery of nutrients from inedible food and agricultural waste into a circular bio-based fertilizer. The use of bio-nutrient produced locally through enzymatic bio-catalysis of food and Agri production waste will make the farmers resilient to price changes in oil and gas which influences the availability of fertilisers. However, wider adoption of this technology is currently limited by the high salt content of the liquid digestate, arising from the salt already present in food wastes.

To address this challenge, this project will research and evaluate novel and efficient separation process to improve the recovery of bio-nutrients from processed food waste. The successful delivery of EnBioROW will enable more farmers to effectively use bio-nutrients to improve crop yield whilst, at the same time, meeting all regulatory requirements.

Aims:

To identify and evaluate effective technologies for removing salt and sugar from digestate produced by IntelliDigest’s iDigest system. The goal is to enhance the agronomic quality of the bio-nutrient output while preserving essential nutrients, supporting circular economy principles and improving its suitability for use in agriculture and controlled environment systems.

Outcomes:

The project reviewed a range of physical and electrochemical separation methods and assessed their suitability for salt and sugar removal. Although digestate analysis was not performed, performance data from prior analyses and literature were used to evaluate each option. A selection matrix was developed to compare technologies based on cost, energy use, feasibility, and nutrient retention. This work informs future system integration and scale-up.

Impact:

The findings will support IntelliDigest in improving the value and usability of its digestate products, especially for vertical farms and precision agriculture.

Academic partner: Jonathan Wagner, Loughborough University

Industrial partner: Ifeyinwa Kanu, IntelliDigest