Hungarian SME seeks partners for sustainable lignite use in bio-waste treatment and agriculture

Summary

Profile Type

Technology request

POD Reference

TRHU20251018001

Term of Validity

20 October 2025 - 20 October 2026

Company's Country

Hungary

Type of partnership

Commercial agreement with technical assistance
Research and development cooperation agreement

Targeted Countries

Afghanistan
Aland Islands
Albania
Algeria
American Samoa
Andorra
Angola
Anguilla
Antarctica
Antigua and Barbuda
Aruba
Australia
Austria
Azerbaijan
Bahamas
Bahrain
Bangladesh
Barbados
Belarus
Belgium
Belize
Benin
Bermuda
Bhutan
Bolivia
Bonaire, Saint Eustatius and Saba
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Botswana
Bouvet Island
British Indian Ocean Territory
British Virgin Islands
Brunei
Bulgaria
Burkina Faso
Burundi
Cabo Verde
Cambodia
Cameroon
Canada
Cayman Islands
Central African Republic
Chad
Chile
China
Christmas Island
Cocos Islands
Colombia
Comoros
Cook Islands
Costa Rica
Croatia
Cuba
Curacao
Cyprus
Czechia
Democratic Republic of the Congo
Denmark
Djibouti
Dominica
Dominican Republic
Ecuador
Egypt
El Salvador
Equatorial Guinea
Eritrea
Estonia
Eswatini
Ethiopia
Falkland Islands
Faroe Islands
Fiji
Finland
France
French Guiana
French Southern Territories
Gabon
Gambia
Georgia
Germany
Ghana
Gibraltar
Greece
Greenland
Grenada
Guadeloupe
Guam
Guatemala
Guernsey
Guinea
Guinea-Bissau
Guyana
Haiti
Heard Island and McDonald Islands
Honduras
Hong Kong
Hungary
Iceland
India
Indonesia
Iran
Iraq
Ireland
Isle of Man
Israel
Italy
Ivory Coast
Jamaica
Japan
Jersey
Jordan
Kazakhstan
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Kuwait
Kyrgyzstan
Laos
Latvia
Lebanon
Lesotho
Liberia
Libya
Liechtenstein
Lithuania
Luxembourg
Macao
Madagascar
Malawi
Malaysia
Maldives
Mali
Malta
Marshall Islands
Martinique
Mauritania
Mauritius
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Mexico
Micronesia
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Mongolia
Montenegro
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Morocco
Mozambique
Myanmar
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Portugal
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Samoa
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Thailand
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Wallis and Futuna
Western Sahara
Yemen
Zambia
Zimbabwe

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General information

Short Summary

A Hungarian SME is seeking active partners to implement the sustainable use of lignite in biological waste treatment and agricultural fertilization. The company offers know-how for producing lignite-based fertilizers that comply with the latest EU regulations. The SME is open to various forms of cooperation, from development partnerships to broader strategic business alliances.

Full Description

The Hungarian innovative SME was founded in 1988 and specializes in the development of organic fertilizers and their application in precision agriculture, as well as in research, development, innovation, engineering, and project coordination.
The company has developed 8 patents and 12 fertilizer products at both national and EU levels. It currently coordinates an EIP-AGRI innovation project titled “Implementation of Innovative Organic Fertilization Adapted to Precision Farming.”
Lignite-based power generation significantly contributes to greenhouse gas and toxic emissions, negatively impacting human health, ecosystems, water resources, and air quality. As lignite is a carbon-rich material abundantly available across Europe, finding sustainable and value-added alternatives for its use is essential.
In collaboration with the largest lignite-processing power plant in Hungary, the SME has developed new EU-certified organic soil improvers based on lignite, receiving CE certification this year.

Lignite presents an opportunity for the biogas sector to valorize digestate, a commonly undervalued by-product. Additionally, lignite used as an additive in compost, organic, and mineral fertilizers can enhance long-term soil performance due to its stable organic carbon content.
The innovative SME possesses comprehensive know-how in the following areas:
• Complex assessment of lignite, organic wastes, and by-products
• Formulation and development of lignite-based additives for composting and stabilization of biogas digestate
• Composition and ingredients of innovative fertilizer products
• Evaluation of tests and field trials
• Coordination and management of the CE certification process for new fertilizers in compliance with EU Regulation 2019/1009

The Hungarian SME is seeking partners under:
• Commercial Agreement with Technical Assistance, and
• Research and Development Cooperation Agreement

Targeted partners include:
• Lignite mining companies and manufacturers: to provide raw materials for additive and value-added fertilizer production
• Composting and biogas plants: to test processed lignite as an additive and develop biofertilizers on a large scale using compost and digestate
• Organic and organo-mineral fertilizer producers: with experience in biomass-based fertilizer production and market distribution
• Laboratories: with analytical capacity for testing lignite, additives, and biofertilizers
• Technology transfer partners: to support market uptake and connect with compost manufacturers, biogas plant operators, and fertilizer producers

Advantages and Innovations

Lignite contributes to improved agricultural and waste treatment practices in the following ways:

• Improves the consistency of organic wastes and by-products
• Reduces odour and greenhouse gas emissions
• Increases the humic acid content of fertilizers
• Replaces risky or artificial components
• Serves as a sustainable alternative to biochar
• Traps harmful compounds that can inhibit seed germination
• Helps optimize the pH level of input materials
• Plays an important role in optimizing the carbon-to-nitrogen ratio
• Enhances the thermophilic stage of the controlled composting process

Technical Specification or Expertise Sought

The Hungarian SME is looking for partners with the following specifications and expertise:

Mining companies with large-scale infrastructure capable of supplying lignite in 0–8 mm particle size

Producers of organic, organo-mineral, or mineral fertilizers

Animal husbandry and biogas plants interested in testing lignite-based products and supporting scale-up activities

Technology transfer companies with more than 5 years of relevant experience

Stage of Development

Already on the market

Sustainable Development Goals

Goal 3: Good Health and Well-being
Goal 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities
Goal 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth
Goal 12: Responsible Consumption and Production

IPR status

Secret know-how

Partner Sought

Expected Role of a Partner

A Hungarian SME is looking for partners with the following profiles:

Lignite mining companies with the infrastructure to process and convert lignite through grinding, sorting, and storage. These companies should be able to supply input materials for new fertilizer production, optimized in terms of particle size, moisture content, organic carbon, and humic acid levels.
Processed lignite can be applied in the following fields:
Composting and biogas plants: to use processed lignite in the production of high-value compost and digestate-based biofertilizers, with reduced odor and greenhouse gas emissions. These facilities can provide biofertilizers for testing in pilot- and large-scale arable or horticultural field trials.

Organic, organo-mineral, and mineral fertilizer producers: to enhance the market value, quality, and long-term effectiveness of fertilizers. These companies can supply the newly developed fertilizers for testing in pilot and full-scale trials.

Arable farmers for field testing of new biofertilizers. Land areas should range between 2 and 10 hectares, preferably with an irrigation system, enabling the establishment of case study sites.

Laboratories with capacity for the analysis of lignite, biomass, and lignite-based products, as well as for conducting quality control tests.

Type and Size of Partner