As the European Commission unveiled its Fertiliser Action Plan, aimed at scaling up the supply of fertilisers, particularly bio-based alternatives, a new report published by the European Biogas Association (EBA) highlights digestate as a readily available circular solution capable of strengthening nutrient security, supporting farmers, and improving soil health across Europe.
The report, “Digestate in Europe: State of Play in 2026,” provides new data on the scale, nutrient potential, and economic value of digestate, the nutrient-rich co-product of anaerobic digestion (AD), the main technology currently used for the production of biogases today.
The report estimates that the environmental and nutrient value of digestate exceeds €1 billion per year. By 2050, Europe’s biogas sector could generate around 177 million tonnes of fertilisers from nutrient-rich waste streams, with nutrient potential projected to reach 9.7 million tonnes of nitrogen, 1.7 million tonnes of phosphorus, and 0.8 million tonnes of potassium.
The findings directly support several priorities identified in the Commission’s Fertiliser Action Plan, presented on May 19, 2026, including nutrient circularity, domestic fertiliser production, and development of bio-based alternatives.
Digestate is becoming a strategic resource for Europe’s fertiliser resilience and circular economy objectives. The Commission’s Fertiliser Action Plan sends an important signal by recognising the role digestate can play in reducing fossil fertiliser dependency while supporting European farmers and renewable energy production, said Lucile Sever, Senior Policy Advisor at the EBA.
Digestate management is a potential game-changer
According to the EBA report, anaerobic digestion (AD) plants in Europe produced an estimated 25 million tonnes of digestate dry matter in 2024, mainly from agricultural feedstocks, with livestock manure accounting for around 60 percent of input materials.
Such production volumes could technically replace more than 16 percent of mineral nitrogen fertilisers used in European agriculture, alongside up to 30 percent of phosphorus and 10 percent of potassium demand.
Economically, effective digestate management can be a game-changer for the viability of biogas plants.
While logistics and storage represent a significant share of operating costs, particularly for larger or more centralised plants, local digestate use can help farmers reduce mineral fertiliser purchases and improve nutrient management efficiency.
Fertiliser Action Plan sends a strong positive signal
Despite its proven environmental and economic benefits, stronger recognition and valorisation of digestate in EU legislation has long been a key priority for the biogas sector.
In this context, the Commission’s Fertiliser Action Plan sends a strong positive signal for the sector, particularly through measures aimed at building a more integrated, circular and resilient European fertiliser market.
Alongside near-term actions such as extending RENURE criteria to digestate, facilitating rules governing the anaerobic digestion of animal by-products, mobilising Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) eco-schemes, and facilitating investment support through Cohesion Funds, the plan also includes longer-term proposals to strengthen the market uptake of bio-based fertilisers across Europe.
Creating stable market conditions and a coherent EU framework for bio-based fertilisers is essential to unlock investment and scale up nutrient recovery solutions across Europe. The Fertiliser Action Plan is an important step towards recognising digestate as a strategic component of Europe’s long-term agricultural and industrial resilience, concluded Lucile Sever.
