ECONUT

Eco-designing for the coastal zone
nutrient's circularity

During climate change, eutrophication, and soil degradation conditions, the Baltic Sea region faces the challenge of recovering and obtaining nutrients. The Baltic Sea coastal area is rich in biomass resources (algae, macrophytes, mussel shells, beach wrack), which can be used in agriculture for sustainable food production. Consistent with the principles of the circular economy, marine biomass resources can serve as both fertilizers and sources of nutrients for further recovery. These solutions prevent nutrients from dispersing into the environment and becoming pollutants. Nutrient-rich coastal biomass can also be used to stabilize dune slopes and enhance biodiversity.

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.