FlashPhos General Assembly Meeting in Spoleto, Italy, at Italmatch Chemicals

The FlashPhos project aims to demonstrate at a large scale a thermochemical process to sustainably produce high-quality white phosphorus (P₄) and other valuable raw materials using sewage sludge as input material. The project follows an economically and ecologically sound and climate-friendly circular economy approach, with all output materials being used in the European industry, some of them substituting critical or CO₂-relevant raw materials.

The FlashPhos consortium, coordinated by the University of Stuttgart, is a multi-disciplinary European team composed of large industrial companies, SMEs, NGOs, and academic institutions. The 17 partners, located in Austria, Germany, Belgium, Italy and Spain cover the full range of expertise in waste management, design and operation of thermochemical plants as well as cement and phosphorus production, that are essential for the optimal execution of the project. During the four-year innovation action, the industrial FlashPhos process will be demonstrated in a pilot plant with a throughput of up to 250kg/h dry sewage sludge.

“The FlashPhos process represents a major step towards achieving a circular economy in the European industry, transforming problematic materials like sewage sludge into high-quality white phosphorus and other valuable raw materials. The project will bring benefit to the environment and the society with its circular approach, as well as to the EU-industry by innovations in the fields of chemical engineering and production, thermal process engineering and cement technology.”

– Matthias Rapf, Coordinator of the FlashPhos project and researcher at the University of Stuttgart

Now that the project is already quite advanced – the planning of the pilot plant is completed and its construction has begun and market scenarios have been investigated – all project partners will get together for their third General Assembly Meeting. The host of the meeting will be project partner Italmatch Chemicals, one of the world’s most experienced companies in P₄ handling and manufacturing and marketing of P₄ derivatives. During the meeting, project partners will review the project’s progress and visit Italmatch’s Spoleto facilities, which are considered a historical pillar of the Italian chemical industry, where numerous P₄-based products are being manufactured since the late 1920s.

“We are delighted to welcome our project partners to Spoleto and showcase our expertise in P₄ processing technology. The FlashPhos project is a game-changer for the industry, and we are proud to be part of this innovative and sustainable circular economy approach. Together, we are driving the transition towards a more sustainable and environmentally friendly resource management.”

– Carlos Galeano, FlashPhos project director at Italmatch

“Italmatch occupies a leading position in FlashPhos’ project regarding Phosphorus’ production technologies, respectively its market deployment. We are proud to be part of the consortium, considering the strong focus our company is dedicating, through innovation and research, to sustainability and circularity, like the recent achievements by the company in chemicals for electrical batteries and for alternative energies can demonstrate. We are also proud to host such an event in a symbolic iconic place like the city of Spoleto, where Italmatch moved its first pace back in 1929, including conventional production of Phosphorus, and that today excel in innovative and ESG Phosphorus driven solutions like electrolytes for EV batteries and environmentally friendly flame retardants.”

– Sergio Iorio, Chairman and Italmatch Group CEO

The first full-scale FlashPhos pilot plant in Europe will be built by 2025, and industrial-scale white phosphorus production will start together with an industrial consortium, expecting market introduction by 2028.