Patent attributes
An apparatus for recovering nutrients or water from digestate comprises one or more solid-liquid separation units, an ammonia stripping device, and a gas scrubbing unit. In a process, digestate is separated into a solids portion and a liquid portion. Ammonia is stripped from the liquid portion and converted into an ammonium salt solution which may be sold or used as, or blended with, a fertilizer product. Optionally, at least part of the remaining liquid portion may be concentrated to produce brine. The brine is mixed with the solids portion. The mixture may be dried and used as, or blended with, a fertilizer product. Optionally, a least part of the remaining liquid portion may be re-used as dilution water in a digester. A solids portion of the digestate, and one or both of an ammonium salt solution and a brine, may be used as fertilizer without thermal drying.