Processes and systems for producing ammonia products and/or calcium carbonate products

A process comprising:

• providing an organic feedstock that contains at least one nitrogen compound;
• removing solids from the organic feedstock to produce an organic liquid effluent that contains at least one of ammonium and ammonia;
• stripping and concentrating ammonia from the organic liquid effluent to produce a gaseous mixture that contains water vapor, carbon dioxide, and entrained gaseous ammonia, the stripping and concentrating step being a distillation process performed in a distillation tower comprising a stripping section and a concentration section, the stripping section containing media through which the organic liquid effluent flows downward and steam is caused to flow upward, the organic liquid effluent and the steam contacting the media to remove the ammonium and/or ammonia from the organic liquid effluent and yield the gaseous mixture that contains the water vapor, the carbon dioxide, and the entrained gaseous ammonia, after which the gaseous mixture flows through the concentration section above the stripping section and the entrained gaseous ammonia is concentrated in the concentration section;
• cooling the gaseous mixture to produce a condensed aqueous ammoniacal nitrogen solution comprising one or more of aqueous ammonia, ammonium bicarbonate, and ammonium carbonate, whereby the carbon dioxide in the gaseous mixture is captured in the condensed aqueous ammoniacal nitrogen solution;
• recycling a portion of the condensed aqueous ammoniacal nitrogen solution through the concentration section of the distillation tower, the portion of the condensed aqueous ammoniacal nitrogen solution raising the concentration of ammonia within the concentration section and increasing the efficiency of removal of the ammonium and/or ammonia from the effluent;
• and
• contacting the condensed aqueous ammoniacal nitrogen solution with a stabilizing agent to cause a reaction therebetween to produce at least a stabilized ammoniacal nitrogen product and calcium carbonate, whereby the carbon dioxide captured in the condensed aqueous ammoniacal nitrogen solution is sequestered in the calcium carbonate.