ARC Research Hub for Nutrients in a Circular Economy (NiCE)

Project Member(s): Shon, H., Phuntsho, S., Jacobs, B., Tijing, L., Huang, Z., Wang, Q., Fatahi, B., Khabbaz, M., Prior, J., Cordell, D., Vigneswaran, S.

Funding or Partner Organisation: Australian Research Council (ARC Industrial Transformation Research Hubs)
Australian Research Council (ARC Industrial Transformation Research Hubs)
The Council of the City of Sydney (City of Sydney)
ORGANIC CROP PROTECTANTS (Organic Crop Protectants - Contract Research)
Royal Botanic Gardens, Sydney (Sydney Royal Botanic Garden - Contract Research)
Rich Earth Institute (Rich Earth Institute - Contract Research)
Melbourne Water Corporation (Melbourne Water)
Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology (UNIST - Contract Research)
Queensland Health
Queensland Urban Utilities
Eldgenoessische Anstalt Fuer Wasserversorgung, Abwasserreinigung Und Gewasserschutz
EIC Activities Pty Ltd
Queensland State Government (Department of Environment and Science (Queensland) - Contract Research)
Nutri-Tech Solutions Pty Ltd (Nutri-Tech Solutions Pty Ltd - Contract Research)
City Parklands Services Pty ltd (City Parklands Services Pty Ltd - Contract Research)
AJJA Technologies Pty Ltd
Healthy Land and Water Ltd (Healthy Land and Water)
South East Water Corporation
Parkway Corporate Limited (Parkway)
Originwater International Pty Ltd (Originwater)
Queensland Water Directorate
Icon Water Limited
PYROCAL PTY LTD (Pyrocal)
Investment NSW (Tech Central Research and Innovation Infrastructure Fund)
Hydrogen 2.0 Pty Ltd Australia (Hydrogen 2.0)
Logan City Council
Siontech Co, Ltd (Siontech)

Start year: 2022

Summary: This Hub aims to create new knowledge for shifting the system by which cities manage urine, enabling an unprecedented, closed-loop circular economy of nutrients at urban precinct scale. By engaging with stakeholders across the system and harnessing cross-disciplinary expertise, it expects to transform the wastewater industry and deliver a roadmap for diverting urine at source and converting it into bionutrient fertiliser, scalable to a city of >100,000 people. Expected outcomes include safety guidelines, technologies for producing tailored fertilisers, and a world-first business model for reusing urine. Outcomes will build resilience for the wastewater industry and agribusiness, and provide new opportunities for the manufacturing sector. Invoicing to Sion Tech ceased as they default payment for more than 150 days

FOR Codes: Expanding knowledge, Organic fertilisers, Environmentally sustainable engineering , Fertilisers (incl. application) , Expanding Knowledge in Technology

Acknowledgement of Country

UTS acknowledges the Gadigal people of the Eora Nation, the Boorooberongal people of the Dharug Nation, the Bidiagal people and the Gamaygal people, upon whose ancestral lands our university stands. We would also like to pay respect to the Elders both past and present, acknowledging them as the traditional custodians of knowledge for these lands.