Phosphogypsum is one of the most challenging by-products of the fertiliser industry: produced in vast quantities, difficult to manage, and historically destined for landfill or storage in large stacks. Through the FIC-FIGHTERS project, IDENER.AI is working to change that, leading the engineering and process optimisation efforts to transform phosphogypsum into a valuable resource within a circular economy framework.

A major technical breakthrough has now been reached: the completion of the Multidisciplinary Design Optimisation (MDO). In practical terms, this means the team has developed and validated an integrated engineering model that simultaneously optimises the process from multiple angles, energy efficiency, material flows, equipment sizing, and operational performance, to arrive at the best possible design for the technology. This is the technical backbone that will guide the construction and operation of a pilot plant at Tharsis Mining in Spain, where the solution will be tested under real industrial conditions for the first time.

IDENER.AI’s role in FIC-FIGHTERS goes beyond coordination. The team is directly responsible for translating scientific concepts into engineering reality, designing the processes, running the optimisation models, and now preparing the detailed engineering design that will take the technology from the drawing board to the plant floor. The next phase will define every component, flow, and operating parameter of the pilot plant, bringing the project to the threshold of real-world demonstration.

With the pilot plant on the horizon, FIC-FIGHTERS is entering its most tangible phase yet, one where the promise of circular solutions for phosphogypsum will be put to the test at scale.