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9/17/2026
Twenty months into the project, the NPower consortium met again in Cork for its 3rd General Assembly, hosted by Munster Technological University (MTU).
The meeting offered a chance to take stock of progress and connect the different strands of work that are now moving closer to concrete results. Discussions covered the latest insights on nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) flows, the Best Management Practices being explored across the Regional Clusters, progress on the six nutrient recovery technologies, and the environmental, social and economic aspects that will shape their future uptake.
A recurring question throughout the meeting was how to turn promising results into solutions that make sense in practice. Regulation, costs, local conditions, stakeholder behaviour and the realities faced by farmers, water managers and other users all came into the conversation.
Cork also made clear that NPower is entering a more results-driven phase. The 20 Best Management Practices are moving closer to demonstration, with the aim of identifying practical ways to reduce and rebalance nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) flows across different sectors and regions. In parallel, the six recovery technologies are progressing towards one of the project’s most tangible outcomes: the production and validation of eight recovered fertilisers for potential agricultural use.
The programme also included a visit to Our Farm at Bushy Park in East Cork, where farmer John Murphy shared the story behind a community-led approach to farming centred on resilience, local participation and nature-friendly practices.
The visit provided a useful setting to connect project discussions with a real farming context and reflect on how changes in nutrient management, agricultural practices and resource use can work on the ground.
As NPower enters the second half of the project, attention is increasingly turning towards consolidating results and making them useful beyond the consortium. This includes translating technical progress into practical materials, policy-oriented outputs, events, collaboration with other European initiatives and clearer communication around the solutions being developed.
The General Assembly closed with a stronger shared picture of the progress made so far, the challenges that still need attention and the priorities for the months ahead.
