A novel approach using ureolytic induced MAP formation, for the recovery of phosphate, has been economically evaluated. The ureolytic MAP crystallizationon has been tested on anaerobic effluent of a potato processing company in a pilot plant, with MgCl2.6H2O as magnesium source. The pilot plant showed a high phosphate removal efficiency of 82 ± 9 %, resulting in a final effluent concentration of 13 ± 7 mg/L PO4-P. XRD analyses confirmed the presence of struvite in the precipitate. During operation pH and the molar magnesium : ammonium : phosphate ratio are the most important operational parameters influencing MAP crystallization. Results show that for high phosphate concentrations in wastewater (e.g. 100 mg/L PO4-P) the ureolytic phosphate precipitation is a cost effective method (6.1 € kg-1 Premoved). Moreover, the technique is competitive with the chemical phosphate precipitation of struvite (6.2 € kg-1 Premoved)