Unibio on the verge of putting into operation a methane to protein plant at commercial scale in Russia
Type of post: NEWS.
In May 2016, Unibio signed a license agreement with
the intent to upscale and commercialize its methane to protein technology in
Russia. That country was chosen as an ideal site because bacterial protein is
historically known in the Russian market and there is access to an abundance of
cheap natural gas. A little more than two years after the signature of the contract,
the first plant is ready for testing and commissioning (see press
release, 13/9/2018). During July, Unibio and its partner and
licensee Protelux completed the construction of the plant. They expect to
commission it by late 2018.
The plant has a production capacity of approximately
6,000 tons per year and four huge 30 meters high U-Loop bio-reactors. The
licensee has already reserved land for a future expansion to 100,000 tons per
year.
The U-Loop technology
The U-Loop technology is based on a process
occurring in nature. The concept underlying is simple: methane can be converted
into a highly concentrated protein product which can be used in feed for
animals. The technology has been developed in close cooperation with the
Technical University of Denmark (DTU). In fact, Unibio runs its research and
pilot facilities at that university. Its demonstration-scale plant is located
in Kalundborg (Denmark) and is co-financed by Innovation Fund Denmark.
Natural gas is the main raw material used in the
process, it is used as the carbon and energy source. Pure oxygen is used for an
oxygenation fermentation process and ammonia as the nitrogen source. In addition
to these substrates, the culture requires water, phosphate and several minerals
including magnesium, calcium, potassium, iron, copper, zinc, manganese, nickel,
cobalt and molybdenum. Sodium hydroxide and sulfuric acid are used for pH
regulation.
Figure 1. Simplified flow diagram of the U-Loop
technology (extracted from the Unibio website)
The fermentor and its design are the most
important aspects of the U-Loop production process. The continuous fermentation
is operated with 2-3% biomass (dry matter). After harvesting, it is
concentrated to over 22% by centrifugation and, then, to approximately 30% by
UHT at 70°C. In the process, the biomass is inactivated and the cell undergoes
lysis so that the protein becomes more accessible. Finally, the UHT-treated
biomass is dried in a spray dryer with an integrated fluid bed. This gives a
non-dusty agglomerated product.
The product:
UniProtein®
UniProtein® is a protein-rich biomass (72.9%)
and can be used as a direct supplement in animal feed compounds. It takes the
form of a free-flowing reddish brown, granule with a particle size of 150-200
μm. It has a long shelf life and the production process always results in a
uniform product.
