Transforming biogas – derived from agriculture or food waste – into feed proteins through a fermentation process is a huge challenge. However, an even greater challenge facing humankind is how to adequately nourish a fast-growing global population with food.

The megatrends speak for themselves; the world is in urgent need of sustainable solutions to overcome contemporary food challenges. Namely, how can a growing world population be fed when agricultural land per capita is decreasing? How can we produce more protein in a sustainable way without destroying the planet?

Unibio’s main focus is to deliver solutions  to the protein scarcity challenge in an eco-friendly way that reduces environmental issues such as overfishing, deforestation, use of pesticides and fertilisers and depletion of farmlands and water resources. Therefore, as an answer to the challenges mentioned above, Unibio has developed the unique U-Loop® technology and the UniProtein® product. This allows Unibio to produce an ultra-scalable protein variant with the help of a game-changing bio industrial technology that converts methane (biogas) into a highly concentrated Single Cell Protein (“SCP”).

In the process, which is illustrated in the  accompanying diagram, biogas is convertedinto a highly concentrated protein product, suitable as a protein ingredient for animals. Unibio’s bioindustrial innovations make it possible to save energy and water in a  manner that is highly sustainable, while simultaneously decoupling protein production from the volatile agricultural sector and stressed fishing industries.

Unibio’s work highlights how proteins can be produced by the bio industry. In doing so, Unibio is contributing to disruption of the protein value chain and setting new standards for responsible protein production. By decoupling protein production from fishing and farming, Unibio provides sufficient food for animals without needing to use arable land or limited water resources to produce it. Unibio’s game-changing green technology has been developed in collaboration with the Technical University of Denmark (DTU).  The concept is based on converting natural gas or biogas into a highly concentrated protein product, the UniProtein® product, by bacterial fermentation. UniProtein® can be used as a direct supplement in feed for all
animals, including fish. A joint venture has recently been established in Nigeria to do so, utilising the country’s gas resources.

The fermentation technology itself constitutes an economically solid business model with significant growth in predictable and recurring revenue. The patented U-Loop® fermentor facilitates the conversion of bacteria into a protein broth (UniProtein®) with an attractive amino acid profile, especially in terms of essential amino acids. UniProtein® is thus very suitable to replace high-protein feed ingredients such as premium fishmeal in feed recipes for household animals.