RENURE is here: What the new EU regulation means for manure and digestate

On 9 February 2026, the EU adopted an important amendment to the Nitrates Directive: With RENURE, nitrogen fertilizers recovered from manure and digestate may in future be used like mineral fertilizers—beyond the previous upper limit. For biogas plant operators and livestock farms, this opens up new opportunities for nutrient recovery. In this post, we explain what RENURE means, what is changing in practice, and what role residue processing plays in this.

What is RENURE?

RENURE stands for “REcovered Nitrogen from manURE”—nitrogen that is recovered from manure or digestate and converted into a plant-available, mineral-fertilizer-like form. Typical RENURE products include ammonium sulfate solutions or mineral concentrates. The key point: this nitrogen behaves like mineral fertilizer—and should therefore be allowed to be treated as such.

What changed in 2026?

Until now, the EU Nitrates Directive has limited the application of nitrogen from organic manure in nitrate-vulnerable areas to 170 kg N per hectare per year. With the amendment (Directive (EU) 2026/288), Member States may additionally allow up to 80 kg N per hectare per year via RENURE fertilizers—i.e., above this limit. The aim is to reduce dependence on imported mineral fertilizer and strengthen the circular economy.

Important and honestly put into context: The regulation applies only in Member States that actively permit RENURE, and it must be transposed into national law by 2 March 2028. As of today (10 June 2026), no country has formally implemented RENURE yet—the national procedures are only just starting. Countries with high manure volumes have advocated for this for years and are considered likely early adopters: the Netherlands, Belgium, Germany, Spain, and Italy.

What does this mean for businesses?

For biogas and livestock farms, RENURE can offer several benefits:

• More scope for nutrient use: Recovered nitrogen can be applied on top of the previous limit.

• Less purchasing: Your own treated nitrogen replaces expensive imported mineral fertiliser.

• More predictable nutrient balance: A disposal problem becomes a usable, marketable product.

  
  

Where processing comes into play

For manure and digestate to become a RENURE-eligible fertilizer, the nitrogen must be recovered and converted into the right form. This is exactly what MKR Cleanwater’s vacuum evaporators do: they reduce volume by up to 90% and bind the nitrogen as ammonium sulfate solution (ASL) in mineral-fertilizer quality (pH 5.5–6.5) — RENURE-compliant and ready for direct use. This way, businesses are prepared when the new rules take effect nationally.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

What does RENURE mean? “REcovered Nitrogen from manURE” — nitrogen recovered from manure or digestate that can be used like mineral fertilizer.

What changes with the EU regulation of 2026? Member States may allow, in nitrate-vulnerable areas, up to 80 kg N/ha/year of RENURE fertilizer in addition to the existing limit of 170 kg N/ha/year.

In which countries does RENURE already apply? Currently in none — national implementation is only just beginning (deadline: 2 March 2028) and applies only in countries that permit RENURE. Likely early adopters include the Netherlands, Belgium, Germany, Spain, and Italy.

Is MKR’s ammonium sulfate solution RENURE-compliant? Yes. The ASS from our evaporators is of mineral-fertilizer quality (pH 5.5–6.5) and is suitable as a RENURE fertilizer.

Who is this relevant for? For biogas plant operators as well as livestock farms that utilize manure or digestate.

Conclusion

With RENURE, what MKR Cleanwater has enabled for years is now officially recognized: high-quality, mineral-fertilizer-like nitrogen fertilizer can be produced from residues such as manure and digestate. The new EU regulation provides the right framework for this — an important step toward a more circular economy in agriculture. Businesses that invest in processing now will be well positioned for the coming years.

Would you like to process your residues so they are RENURE-ready? Send us a sample — we evaporate...