Operational grants for nutrient cycles - promoting nutrient recycling through biogas production 

The operational grants for nutrient cycles that are under preparation are targeted to biogas plants producing biogas and highly processed nutrient products for the market from manure or waste from the management of aquatic vegetation. The aim is to promote the utilisation of nutrients in a larger area and the creation of markets for recycled fertiliser products, and to respond to profitability problems related to the processing of biomass. A particular aim is to promote the transfer of nutrients from areas with a phosphorus surplus to be used in areas where such a surplus does not exist. 

The grants are awarded through a competitive tendering procedure where the applicant submits a tender including the price for processing one kilo of phosphorus and an estimate on the need for support by the end of 2025. In the competitive tendering procedure the tenders are ranked from the lowest to the highest until the budget reserved for the grants has been exhausted. Grants will not be awarded to biogas plants operating in connection with farms that use the farm’s own manure in the biogas process and the fertiliser products created in the process for their own production operations. 

The impact of the grants is further strengthened by giving priority to biogas plants located in regions with a phosphorus surplus (Southwest Finland, Satakunta, South Ostrobothnia and Ostrobothnia), plants using high value-added technologies (dry matter content >80%) and plants where the status of the surrounding waters within a 25 km radius from the plant is satisfactory or worse. This helps target nutrient recycling to areas where the need is the greatest. The scheme is a national one, however, which means that all biogas plants in mainland Finland that meet the criteria can submit tenders and have a good chance of receiving the grant. 

EUR 4 million in total is available for the grants for nutrient recycling in 2023–2025, and in the financial framework EUR 5 million has been proposed for 2024–2026. The government grant authority awarding grants for nutrient recycling is the Centre for Economic Development, Transport and the Environment for Southwest Finland. 

The Government adopted a decree on nutrient recycling subsidies in February 2024. A total of EUR 9 million is available for nutrient cycle support for 2023-2026, and the Centre for Economic Development, Transport and the Environment for Southwest Finland, which acts as the state aid authority, is responsible for the implementation of the support.