The 2026 European Biosolids and Bioresources Conference (EBBC) opens next week with a dazzling array of speakers and sessions. One that looks particularly relevant to EBNet and its members is the interactive discussion on biosolids utilisation – entitled ‘In space, no-one can hear you innovate’.
The two highly-qualified and experienced speakers at this session, Jon Brigg of Stoic Options and David Tompkins of REAL, have also pre-posted a White Paper setting out some of the main issues – a great idea, as it stimulates discussion and participation on the day, and also allows a wider audience to reflect on the problems and share both frustrations and solutions.
Dr Yue Zhang, who co-Leads EBNet’s Anaerobic Fermentation WG, said: “Unfortunately I can’t attend the EBBC conference: but it’s great to see this important debate taking place there. The paper raises questions ranging from contaminants and source control to phosphorus recovery, markets, policy and investment. While resource recovery from wastewater biosolids is particularly complex as its inputs are not fully source-controlled, many of the challenges are also shared by commercial and farm-based anaerobic digestion. The paper puts forward the key questions we face in moving forward on effective valorisation of anaerobic digestates and fermentation residues, and hopefully this debate will help to address some of them”.
For the full EBBC programme see here, and for an accompanying LinkedIn post inviting comments on the paper and the session see HERE. EBNet’s thanks to David Tompkins for sharing this material.
