PLENITUDE project – Sustainable mycoprotein biorefinery



Type of post: PROJECT PROFILE.

Meeting the growing demand for proteins will be one of the challenges of the near future. The EU is suffering from a major deficit in vegetable proteins and is dependent on imports from third countries. There is an urgent need for technology breakthroughs to increase local protein production. And, this seems to be one of the priorities of the BBI JU. The two flagship projects of its 2018 call are focused on the protein issue. At the end of June, the Blog featured one of them, the FARMYNG project (fully-automated flagship industrial plant to produce premium proteins from insects). Now, it is the turn of the PLENITUDE project.

The initiative addresses the protein challenge by integrating two established processes into a flagship, large-scale, first-of-its-kind, biorefinery producing bioethanol and sustainable food protein. The process takes a proportion of the sustainable cereal crops that feed the biorefinery to create a feedstock for the fermentation process that produces ABUNDA® mycoprotein. 3F BIO, along with a consortium of 9 other partners, will build this integrated facility to produce proteins for food from low-cost sustainable feedstocks.

Figure 1. Diagram of the 3F BIO technology (taken from its website)

PLENITUDE key data

Title
First-of-its kind large-scale production of proteins for food applications from alternative, sustainable sources using a zero-waste biorefinery process (PLENITUDE).
Programmes
H2020-EU.2.1.4. - INDUSTRIAL LEADERSHIP - Leadership in enabling and industrial technologies – Biotechnology
H2020-EU.3.2.6. - Bio-based Industries Joint Technology Initiative (BBI-JTI)
Topic
BBI.2018.SO3.F2 - Large-scale production of proteins for food and feed applications from alternative, sustainable sources
Call for proposals
H2020-BBI-JTI-2018.
Funding Scheme
BBI-IA-FLAG - Bio-based Industries Innovation action – Flagship.
Total budget / EC contribution
28,546,074.09 € / 16,937,334.61 €
Start date / End date
1 October 2019 – 30 September 2024
Coordinator
- 3F BIO Ltd (United Kingdom): biotechnology.
Partners
- Alcogroup (Belgium): primary processing and industrial operations.
- Anglo Beef Processors UK (United Kingdom): end-user covering food categories.
- Bridge 2 Food (Netherlands): specialist consultant covering marketing and sustainability.
- International Flavors & Fragrances IFF BV (Netherlands): product development and applications.
- Lactips (France): end-user covering bioplastics.
- Life Cycle Engineering Srl (Italy): specialist consultants covering marketing and sustainability.
- MosaMeat BV (Netherlands): end-user covering food categories.
- Vivera BV (Netherlands): end-user covering food categories.
- Wageningen Research (Netherlands): primary research and protein expertise.

PLENITUDE objectives

- Develop a sustainable mycoprotein biorefinery process capable of offsetting more than 11 million tonnes of CO2 per annum and reducing water consumption by 13.8 billion cubic metres compared to beef farming, globally.
- Safeguard and/or create a number of jobs. At the initial scale of production, this will be in the region of 200 jobs, as many as 4,350 if the project achieves its longer-term goals.-- Provide access to a food source that is high in protein and fibre, cholesterol-free, with the potential to contribute to improving cardiovascular health.
- Make proteins more available and affordable.
- Reduce the pressure on land caused by growing feed for livestock.

PLENITUDE impacts

- Create five new cross-sectoral interconnections.
- Establish five new value chains for end bioproducts: mycoprotein bio-based packaging, mycoprotein-based pet food, meat-free consumer products, meat extender consumer products and mycoprotein as a co-product to accelerate the growth of cultured meat.
- Develop novel mycoprotein-based biopolymer packaging materials demonstrated at TRL 6.

3F BIO technology

3F BIO’s technology produces mycoprotein at a highly competitive cost. Its patented process covers the zero-waste fermentation of high-quality protein, converting starch to protein using cost effecient feedstocks and decouples the ability to meet economic growth from the disproportionate use of natural resources. The technology combines two stand-alone processes into a zero waste, integrated process to yield mycoprotein sustainably.

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