ECONUT

Eco-designing for the coastal zone nutrient's circularity

I en tid av klimatförändringar, övergödning och markförstöring står Östersjöregionen inför utmaningen att återställa och bibehålla näringsämnen. Östersjöns kustområde är rikt på biomassaresurser (alger, makrofyter, musselskal, så kallat beach wrack), som kan användas inom jordbruket för hållbar livsmedelsproduktion. I enlighet med principerna för den cirkulära ekonomin kan marina biomassaresurser fungera som både gödningsmedel och näringskällor för ytterligare återhämtning. Dessa lösningar förhindrar att näringsämnen sprids ut i miljön och blir förorenande. Näringsrik kustbiomassa kan också användas för att stabilisera sanddyner och förbättra den biologiska mångfalden.

There is no Event

Project Information

Project owner: Klaipeda University

Project partners: Klaipeda University, Lithuania; Lithuanian Research Center for Agriculture and Forestry, Lithuania; Gdansk University of Technology, Poland; Hållbar Utveckling Skåne, Sweden; University of Rostock, Germany and University of Southern Denmark, Denmark.

Associated partners: Administration of Silale’s District Municipality (Lithuania), JSC Palanga communal utility (Lithuania), John Nurminen Foundation (Finland), Finnish Environment Institute (Finland), Regional Inspectorate for Environmental Protection in Gdansk (Poland) and En God Granne (Sweden).

Project duration: 1 st September, 2023 – 31 st August, 2026.

Project budget: EUR 1,473,550.00 (ERDF co-financing EUR 1,178,840.00).

Project no: STHB.02.03-IP.01-0004/23.

Funding: The project is co-financed by the EU European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) under the 2021-2027 Interreg VI-A South Baltic cross-border cooperation program. More information here.

Head project manager:
Olga Anne

olga.anne@ku.lt
+370 616 15335

Swedish project manager:
Emma Ljungberg

emma.ljungberg@hutskane.se
tel: 073-140 88 98

Project objectives

The overarching goal of the ECONUT project is to design and develop technology for the nutrient flow cycle following the principles of the circular economy and sustainable soil and water management for a regional bioeconomy. The project aims to:

Develop technologies for nutrient flow circularity and sustainable use of soil and water ecosystems.
Create added-value products for agriculture and dune protection against wind erosion and storm floods.

By the project’s conclusion, two developed technologies and three pilot cases will be realized. The project will evaluate the impact of beach wrack removal on soil fertility, slope stability, and biodiversity in the context of climate change. Additionally, a market analysis for the pilot technologies and the creation of business models for the developed technologies and added-value products will be undertaken.

Stakeholder involvement

The project seeks to engage a broad range of stakeholders, including:

South Baltic region farmers
Agricultural specialists
Local and regional authorities (municipalities)
Environmental protection agencies
Public health care and food risk assessment institutions
Entrepreneurs
Scientists
NGO’s
The general public

Do you trust the project idea?

Your input could greatly enhance our understanding and effectiveness. Become a member of the ECONUT network!

Address qr-kod

Project Activities

I. Preparation stage

Focus: The focus is on beach wrack coverage and hotspots at the South Baltic Sea coastal zone, analysing beach wrack nutrient and contaminants content and its treatment methods.

The preparation stage involves the collection and processing of the bio-substrate (WP2). The project partners will identify areas with high biomass concentrations, develop beach wrack pre-treatment methods – biomass preparation for applications in agricultural and coastal dune areas by pilot cases implementation. Activities will include desk research, biomass samplings, their analysis, beach wrack pre-treatment, treated beach wrack preparation for technical and economic feasibility studies, grounding the dunes’ biodiversity development and their slope stability.

For the ECONUT pilot cases in Lithuania and Poland, beach wrack composting was selected as the preferred method. This environmentally friendly approach produces high-quality compost that is rich in organic matter, macroelements, and essential nutrients such as phosphorus (P) and nitrogen (N). Additionally, it is free from toxic compounds, making it ideal for enriching soil.

Status autumn 2025:

II. Pilot cases

Focus: Pilot cases in Klaipeda region, Gdansk, and Rostock.

Pilot cases stage involves Added-Value Products and Nutrient Cycling Technologies Development (WP3). Three pilot cases will test the nutrient circular economy approach using marine biomass as an organic fertiliser and a dune stabiliser. This work includes developing new technologies, engaging local stakeholders and ensuring the sustainability of these solutions. Outputs will include methods to improve crop productivity, dune biodiversity and resilience to the coastal erosion.

III. Impact on Climate Change

Focus: Evaluation of Nutrients’ Recycling Technology’s Impact on Climate Change (WP4)

The environmental and climate benefits of using a coastal zone marine biomass will be assessed. Laboratory experiments will measure greenhouse gas emissions from beach wrack and determine their impact on climate change mitigation at the coast. WP4 activities also include the development of a risk analysis tools to assess potential challenges and opportunities for scaling up nutrient recycling technologies.

IV. Market analysis and business model

Focus: Proceeding with market analysis and business model development (WP5)

To ensure the commercial success of the project outputs, this work package will assess the market opportunities for nutrient cycling technologies and added-value products. Interviews with farmers, industry experts and other stakeholders will identify potential users and supply chains. Customised business models will be developed for each technology, added-value product and therefore go-to-market strategies will be developed. The project will engage individuals, communities and businesses to maximise interest and adoption.

Results & Deliverables

Results & Deliverables will be contstantly updated.

20260115:

Robust methodology
The ECONUT project has established a robust methodology for nutrient recycling using marine biomass such as algae and beach wrack, grounded in circular economy and sustainability principles. This methodology is now fully developed and applied across all pilot activities.

Mapping
Comprehensive mapping of beach wrack occurrence has been completed for the southern and southeastern Baltic Sea region based on five years of satellite data. The results provide a solid spatial and temporal basis for identifying hotspots of beach wrack in the coastal area of project partners.

Pilot cases
Pilot activities are underway to test environmentally sound collection and treatment methods. Lithuania and Poland focus on composting of beach wrack with further application for agriculture, while the German pilot explores untreated beach wrack for dune slopes stability to mitigate coasts’ erosion and increase biodiversity.

Market analysis
Market analysis shows that composted beach wrack fertilizer has low market value relative to high collection and processing costs. While higher-value applications may be possible, they would require further research, investment, and a committed business actor to develop a viable model.

More details about results here.

Short overview deliverables/results:

Deliverable 2.1

Results 2.1

Nutrient cycling approach, methodology and work plan development

Development of methodology focused on Baltic Sea southern coastal beach wrack material analysis and best practices for nutrient recovery was completed 17 October 2024.

Deliverable 2.2

Results 2.2

Mapping of coastal zone areas of nutrient concentration and biomass sampling

The mapping was completed 2 may 2025.

Links to maps:
Denmark
Germany
Lithuania
Poland

Sweden

Deliverable 2.3

Results 2.3

Analysis of methods for collection and treatment of bio-substrate

Key Conclusions:

Nutrient potential: Beach wrack material shows promising results as a nutrient source with 2.84 % nitrogen content.

Composting benefits: Adding beach wrack material and bacterial products in combination with green grass and cereal straw (type 2 compost) resulted in higher nitrogen (1.70 %) and mobile potassium content.

Application potential: Type 2 compost shows potential for agricultural applications, with benefits for soil improvement.

Deliverable 3.1		Pilot cases for development and installation nutrients’ cycling system description
Deliverable 3.2		Creation of value added products
Deliverable 3.3		Development of technologies of the nutrients’ flow’s circularity

Deliverable 4.1		Evaluation of climate benefits of beach wrack removal from the coast and its application for soil fertility, slope stability and biodiversity reviving
Deliverable 4.2		Traditional and innovative nutrient circularity‘s footprint calculations and their comparison
Deliverable 4.3		Developed the value-added products and nutrient cycling technologies’ end-of-life assessment

Deliverable 5.1

Results 5.1

Market analyses for each of the pilot cases’ technologies developed in the project

Fertilizer based on composted beach wrack is a product with relatively low market value, comparable to the price of cow manure. The costs of collecting, transporting, composting, marketing and selling such a product are estimated to be five times higher than the expected sales price. There are opportunities to develop higher-value products, but this also requires more research and likely greater investment in equipment, marketing and sales, as well as an entrepreneur willing to take on the task. Investing in such a business will be a gamble, and the challenges will be significant in several parts of the refinement chain.

Deliverable 5.2

Business models for the business adoption of each of the pilot cases’ technologies

Deliverable 5.3

Plans for the market launch of each of the pilot cases’ technologies

Articles & Press

Econut Press Release Lithuania

Can beach wrack located on the coast be used for our soil as an additive to fertilizers and also as part of a stabilizer to protect the dunes from destruction?

Read original article »

Read English version »

Participants and key experts

Klaipeda University – Project Lead Partner

Responsible for overall project management and coordination of project activities.

Key experts’ competencies:

Prof., Dr. Olga Anne – environmental chemistry, environmental management, biotechnology for environment, circular economy and sustainability
Dr. Renata Pilkaityte – water eutrophication, algae taxonomy, biology and ecology, phytoplankton ecotoxicology
Migle Mockute – mapping, database analysis, remote sensing, geoinformatics, GIS, machine learning, ecology
Raimonda Faidusiene – international projects’ communication, exploitation and dissemination activities.

Lithuanian Research Center for Agriculture and Forestry – project partner

Leader of the Work Package 2. Responsible for the collection and pre-treatment of beach wreck, participating in Pilot Case.

Key experts’ competencies:

Dr. Danute Karcauskiene – analysis and management of soil acidification process, soil physical properties and their improvement, optimization of the soil nutrient environment, development of sustainable crop production technologies, soil health
Dr. Ieva Mockeviciene – agricultural sciences, agroecology, sustainable soil management, soil chemistry, research on the transformation of nutrients.

Gdansk University of Technology – project partner

Leader of the Work Package 3. Responsible for processing three different pilot cases in Lithuania, Poland and Germany.

Key experts’ competencies:

Andrzej Rogala , PhD., Assistant Professor – chemical engineering, environmental management, new energy sources, green synthetic fuels, biomass conversion and processing.
Piotr Rybarczyk , PhD., Assistant Professor – chemical engineering, environmental engineering, bio-based solutions for environmental pollution, biomass conversion and processing
Prof., Dr. Jacek Antonkiewicz – soil remediation, recultivation of degraded areas, environmental management using organic and mineral waste materials.

Sustainable Development Skåne – project partner

Leader of the Work Package 5. Responsible for the project communication and dissemination activities, for conducting market analysis, developing business models.

Key experts’ competencies:

Helena Thelander – strategic cross-sector collaboration and networking.
Emma Ljungberg – project management, networking and circular economy.
Caroline Bjurman Holgersson – communication and graphic design.
Mats Larsson – business development expert.

University of Rostock – project partner

Responsible for developing and running the Pilot case in Germany (Rostock) for creating dunes’ stabilizer.

Key experts’ competencies:

Prof., Dr. Hendrik Schubert – brackish water ecology, water systems management, marine ecology, biodiversity
Daniela Glück – marine biologist, biodiversity analyzes in coastal ecosystems, nutrient and sediment analyzes of coastal sediments and dune plants, alternative coastal protection strategies, taxonomy of macrophytes, restoration of seagrass meadow.

University of Southern Denmark – project partner

Leader of the Work Package 4. Responsible for assessing the impact of beach wrecks on climate change.

Key experts’ competencies:

Associate Professor dr. Cintia Organo Quintana and dr. Anaïs Richard – greenhouse gas emissions, climate change in marine ecosystems, blue carbon, beach wreck ecology.