Every two years, the Flemish Coordination Centre for Manure Processing (VCM) organises the 'Ivan Tolpe prize for innovation in manure processing'. This prize has already been awarded four times to a participant with an innovative idea that contributes to processing manure in a more sustainable and cost-efficient way. The prize honours the late Ivan Tolpe, a pioneer in manure processing from West Flanders.
Ivan Tolpe was a farmer and entrepreneur who managed 7 pig farms and 3 manure treatment installations. In 2013, he passed away unexpectedly due to a tragic accident on the farm. As a homage to this pioneer and driving force in the sector, VCM established the ‘Ivan Tolpe prijs: award for innovation in manure processing’. An award for innovation in manure processing. The aim is to help develop and support innovative, promising techniques in order to maintain Flanders' pioneering role in manure processing.
The Dutch company Colsen won the Ivan Tolpe Award 2021 with the AMFER technology.
With the AMFER® technology, nitrogen can be recovered from raw manure or digestate through stripping-scrubbing. The nitrogen in manure or digestate mainly consists of ammonium nitrogen (NH4-N). By increasing the pH and / or the temperature, this soluble nitrogen will escape from the liquid as ammonia gas.
AMFER works at relatively low temperatures (55-65 ° C) and does not use chemicals to raise the pH (eg NaOH, Ca (OH)2), but instead strips CO2 from the manure or digestate.
In 2022 and early 2023, VCM welcomes new proposals of innovative technologies that contribute to sustainable and cost-efficient manure treatment.
More information on the previous editions and on the participation in the Ivan Tolpe Prize 2023 can be found at this link.
