by Lynda Kiernan

A ten-member consortium spanning five EU member states, including 3F BIO, Alcogroup SA, International Flavors & Fragrances I.F.F., Wageningen University, Bridge 2 Food, Life Cycle Engineering Srl, Mosa Meat, Vivera, ABP, and bio-plastics company, Lactips, has secured €17 million (US$19 million) for first-of-its-kind large scale integrated biorefinery to produce protein for food from low cost, sustainable feedstock.  

The project, which will be based in the city of Ghent, Belgium, and called Plentitude, will be developed under lead industrial partner Alcogroup SA, and co-funded by 3F Bio and funding from the European Commission under the Bio-Based Industries Joint Undertaking (BBI JU).

With an eye toward environmental and economic sustainability, the integrated facility will combine two processes into a single location, creating food-grade protein and bioethanol.

“3F BIO are delighted that the consortium has been awarded this grant,” said Jim Laird, CEO, 3F BIO. The problem of feeding a rapidly growing population and the continued demand for protein presents a high-level strategic issue. This project addresses this challenge by combining the benefits of biotechnology and the use of natural processes to support the efficient manufacturing of sustainable protein.”

Currently global consumption of meat protein totals approximately 500 million tons annually. Forecasts now state that global protein consumption is expected to climb at a compounded annual growth rate (CAGR) of 1.7 percent, reaching 943 million tons by 2054, according to Lux Research. Of this, less than 1 percent is currently derived from non-animal sources, however, experts including the UN FAO predict that demand for non-animal-based protein has the potential to account for between 10 and 20 percent of growing demand, which would translate to the need for as much as 200 million tons of plant protein per year. 

This wave of preference for plant-based proteins by consumers, combined with a deepening knowledge about the food supply chain, has resulted in consumers not only wanting more plant-based proteins in their own diets, but in the diet of the chickens that lay their eggs, and the livestock that are raised for consumption.

Amid such a landscape, the European Parliament has expressed, “The EU is currently suffering from a major deficit in protein production and is dependent on imports from third countries. These factors create an urgent need for technology breakthroughs to increase local protein production.”

Coming together, the 10 members of the consortium create a synergistic body consisting of ‘key players’ in the bioeconomy, from primary processing, ingredient suppliers, product developers, researchers, and end users.

This collaboration between the biorefinery, which will have an initial output capacity of 16,000 tons per year, with food producers, and technology leaders will spark new cross-sector interconnections, bio bio-based value chains, and new bio-based consumer products, according to a release by 3F BIO. 

“It is significant in that it creates a first of its kind integrated process, and we hope that this proves a model which can then be scaled and repeated,” Laird told Food Navigator. 

“In the macro or global context of the total protein market the addition of 16,000 tons only represents a small fraction of the annual growth in protein demand,” continued Laird, “…but it will confirm the overall concept which can scale to tens of millions of tons per annum.”