Circular nutrients for a sustainable Baltic Sea Region

CiNURGi is a project aimed at developing a circular economy for nutrients in the Baltic Sea Region. The initiative focuses on upgrading current infrastructures and technologies to enhance nutrient recovery from various biomasses and resource streams originating from agriculture, municipalities, and industry. The project’s goal is to facilitate efficient nutrient use and promote the use of recycled fertilizer products. By doing so, CiNURGi seeks to address several critical issues including climate-neutral food production, ensuring security of nutrient supply in the region, and mitigating eutrophication in the Baltic Sea.

The goals of CiNURGI are closely aligned with the objectives outlined in the HELCOM Baltic Sea Regional Nutrient Recycling Strategy (HELCOM 2021) and the Baltic Sea Action Plan (BSAP). These strategies provide a framework for regional cooperation and action to address environmental challenges, particularly those related to nutrient management. Moreover, CiNURGi also supports broader European initiatives such as the Circular Economy Action Plan of the European Green Deal, Integrated Nutrient Management Action Plan of the Farm-to-Fork Strategy as well as regional framework under policy areas PA Nutri and PA Bioeconomy in the EU’s Strategy for the Baltic Sea Region.

To achieve its objectives, CiNURGi engages in a range of activities designed to drive progress towards a circular nutrient economy. These activities include:

Developing standards for safe and sustainable nutrient recycling.

Formulating strategies for nutrient recycling to improve regional nutrient balances.

Promoting the acceptance and use of recycled nutrients.

Exploring business opportunities in nutrient recycling.

Enhancing policy coherence in nutrient recycling in the Baltic Sea Region.

In terms of expected outcomes, CiNURGi aims to achieve several outcomes, including enhanced efficiency in nutrient use, thereby contributing to more sustainable agricultural practices, and supporting climate-neutral food production; increased economic opportunities withing the nutrient recycling industry, thereby fostering innovation and growth in this sector. Additionally, by reducing nutrient pollution in the Baltic Sea, the project seeks to improve the ecological health of the region.

The project's consortium, led by RISE Research Institutes of Sweden, comprises 24 partners and 13 associated organizations from countries surrounding the Baltic Sea, including Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Poland, Latvia, Lithuania, and Sweden. The project has a budget of 6,54 million euros and it will be active until October 2026.

More about CiNURGI: https://interreg-baltic.eu/project/cinurgi/