Yariv Cohen awarded for process extracting phosphorus from sewage sludge

The Swedish Chemical Engineers National Association (SKR) chemical engineering award 2019 will be awarded to Yariv Cohen, Development Manager at EasyMining. He receives the prize for his efforts to develop chemical processes for the extraction of nutrients and metals from waste. His processes can solve important problems in society and help create a working circular economy in real life, not just in theory.

Yariv Cohen’s work involves the recovery of resources from waste with chemical processes, especially phosphorus from ash, focusing on efficient techniques where several components of the material can be utilized, and heavy metals are removed from the cycle. As co-founder and head of development at EasyMining, he has played a key role in developing seven patents. Two of those processes are in the design stage, Ash2Phos (phosphorus and metals from sludge ash) and Ash2Salt (various salts recovered from fly ash from waste incineration). He was part of a large collaborative project with the mining industry and a project in the EU LIFE program (recycling of nitrogen from wastewater).

He develops processes with awareness of both chemistry and the environment, the market, legislation and the economy, and does so with impressive knowledge, stubbornness and humility.

- It is with great pleasure that we have chosen Yariv Cohen as this year's winner. He receives it for his work to develop new technology that can help solve several of our major societal challenges, using chemistry as a base. Phosphorus is a limited resource and necessary for the world's food supply, says Lars Josefsson, chairman of SKR's jury.

Yariv Cohen has a PhD from the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences with the title "Phosphorus recovery from waste and ash". He co-founded EasyMining in 2007. The company has been a member of the Ragn-Sells Group since 2014. He will receive the award during Berzeliusdagarna (the Berzelius Days) on January 31, at 12:45 in Aula Magna, Stockholm University.

- It is an honour to receive the award and that other chemists appreciate my work. It feels meaningful and important to develop chemical processes for recycling pure products from waste, says Yariv Cohen.

About SKR's chemical engineering award
SKR, Swedish Chemical Engineers National Association, give their annual chemical engineering award to a chemical engineer or chemist who has made commendable efforts for chemical technology. The winner will be honoured an engraved silver bar of 1,000 grams, donated by Boliden. This is the 16th time that SKR's chemical engineering award has been awarded. SKR is a section of the Swedish Chemical Society. Several prominent chemists have previously received the award.

The Berzelius Days
The Swedish Chemistry Society has organized Berzeliusdagarna (the Berzelius Days) since 1956. The purpose is to give Swedish high school students an insight into what it means to study chemistry at college and what one can work with as a chemist. About 350 high school students participate annually in the event at the Stockholm University, through grants funded by schools and business in Sweden. Skilled researchers from Swedish and foreign universities and the industry give short, inspiring lectures on their research, their everyday work and the value of science education. You can find more information at www.berzeliusdagarna.se

For more information or interview, please contact:
Yariv Cohen: e-mail yariv.cohen@ragnsells.com
Lars Josefsson: tel 0708330582 e-mail lars.josefsson@johannebergsciencepark.com