The AQUAPHOENIX General Meeting 2026 took place from June 2-3 in Mariehamn, Åland, where partners are testing and optimising novel technologies for collecting aquaculture waste and preparing it for recycling. This work is taking place at active fish farms in the area and in partnership with technology developers, scientists, local government, and other regional and international stakeholders.
During the 2026 GM, attendees had a chance to witness and discuss these efforts in detail, along with broader discussions of the progress made in the first year of the project and challenges and opportunities to come.
Public Information Session
Tuesday began with a public information session organised by project coordinators at NORCE and project partners at Ålands fiskodarförening r.f. The session was aimed at local and regional stakeholders, with members of the Åland Parliament and officials from the Åland authorities present.
As project coordinator Ryan Weber (NORCE) explained in his welcome address, Åland is a fundamental place for testing and optimising sludge collection technologies, with testing sites in the Baltic offering their own unique environment and challenges. Hans Kleivdal (NORCE) reiterated that the project’s aims in Åland are to co-develop the best solutions to support sustainable growth in the area. Jesper Josefsson, Minister of Trade and Environment, discussed the timely nature of these efforts from a policy perspective, particularly the role of clean and sustainable aquaculture as a key component of Åland’s regional development agenda.
Anders Kiessling, Professor of Aquaculture, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, reinforced the importance of sustainable aquaculture & circular solutions from a regional policy perspective. He presented a model for a ‘green-blue’ regional food system where agriculture and aquaculture directly support one another through shared, upcycled resources.
Attendees also had the opportunity to learn more about the operational aspects of sludge collection with a presentation by William Lindborg of Framo (technology developer of sludge technology and leader of AQUAPHOENIX Work Package 1). In the first year of the project (2025), the focus was on testing and adjusting sludge collection technologies and supporting infrastructure to ensure they were fit for purpose in the context of the Åland archipelago.
With initial instalments now complete in Åland fish farms operated by Brändö Lax, Framo and industry partners will continue testing and adjusting the infrastructure in Summer 2026 before moving the sludge collection equipment to Storfjärden’s production site for further testing in 2027. Now and in the future, keeping the technology accessible and affordable for farmers will be a high priority.
Collecting sludge is only the first step of the AQUAPHOENIX work plan. Once collected, treated and stored, partners will work together to transport sludge, extract the valuable nutrients it contains (nitrogen, phosphorus and other organic compounds) and valorise its conversion into clean assets like clean energy, manufacturing materials, and even microalgae for use in experimental feed and fertilisers. Anders Bjerga (Ragn-Sells) and Dorinde Kleinegris (NORCE) presented on how AQUAPHOENIX is advancing understandings of recycled sludge and its many uses, emphasising that the project takes a system-based approach in which all partners work together to maximise the value of sludge. The information session concluded with an audience dialogue.
Partner Presentations
In Tuesday afternoon and Wednesday sessions, AQUAPHOENIX work package and task leads presented the work that has been completed so far and discussed upcoming priorities for the second year of the project and beyond. William Lindborg (Framo) provided more details on the installation and testing of sludge collection technologies in Norway and Åland, emphasising the importance of testing each step of the process rigorously: from the timing of fish feeding sludge collection to the specifics of filtration and net dimensions. Partners agreed on the importance of ease of installment and maintenance to maximise uptake.
The importance of validating every step of the project’s work plan was also discussed during presentations by scientific project leads. Einar Bye-Ingebrigtsen (NORCE) presented on Work Package 2, which focuses on the environmental impacts of aquaculture emissions and effects of sludge removal on the seafloor. Samples from sludge have now been collected for analysis, with preparation on schedule for benthic field work in 2026. Pål Næverlid Sævik (Institute of Marine Research) presented Work Package 3’s work to measure and model the impact of sludge collection on the pelagic ecosystem. With 14 cruises in 2025-2026 so far and incorporating advanced instrumentation, the team has collected crucial information on parameters like oxygen levels, particle size and profile. In the coming months, scientists will work to model the behavior of sludge particles and simulate measures to reduce their impact on the surrounding environment.
For Work Package 4, which leads the efforts to recycle and valorise the uses of recycled sludge, Anders Bjerga (Ragn Sells, Work Package 4 lead) discussed efforts to optimise logistics for the treatment of sludge and the plan for maximising the market value of sludge in future. Jörgen Ejlertsson (St1 Biokraft) shared progress made so far in recycling efforts, such as the co-digestion of fish sludge to produce biogas. Elin Larsson presented the role of EasyMining technologies for validating nutrient recovery from sludge, specifically through its conversion into ash and the subsequent extraction of clean phosphorus. And Dorinde Kleinegris (NORCE) spoke to the potential of sludge use for the cultivation of microalgae, including the importance of analysing reject water and creating environments that support microalgae growth. A priority for 2026 is keeping the quality of sludge predictable and usable.
David Bassett from EATiP, who leads Work Packages 5 on policy and governance frameworks and Work Package 6 on communication, presented strategies to build strong governmental and policy frameworks to support the uptake of novel technologies and circular approaches being piloted in the AQUAPHOENIX project. This led to productive discussions, particularly regarding the priorities that will be at the forefront of the EU Circular Bio-based Europe Joint Undertaking (CBE JU) agenda. Pamela Ernsberger (EATiP) and Iseult Gillespie (Seascape Belgium) presented the project’s communication activities in the first phase of the project and the ongoing strategy designed to maximise the societal, environmental, and economic value of AQUAPHOENIX. Megan Brunswig Sikaneta of NORCE, who leads administration of the project through Work Package 8, noted that deliverables and milestones are well on track. By engaging the right stakeholders and audiences, partners are working to grow knowledge of these and other project activities and ensure uptake of results.
Field Visit
Partners had a special opportunity to visit fish farms owned and operated by project partner Brändö Lax, who are working with Framo to optimise sludge collection technology. In Summer 2026, Brändö Lax – who has been testing and contributing to the optimisation of sludge collection technology in Åland since the initial phase of the project – was granted a special permit for experimental activities by ÅMHM (the Åland Islands Environmental and Health Protection Authority). This permit allows for a temporary biomass increase to support the further development and demonstration of sludge collection and reflects the importance of rigorous testing for promising aquaculture solutions.
These activities are helping to determine how sludge can be collected most effectively under real production conditions. In 2026, partners will continue to build effective systems for collecting and recycling sludge and supporting regulatory, policy and knowledge frameworks to support sustainable production, circular economic growth and efficient nutrient management in aquaculture.
