“We’re presently getting ready that spherical. It can begin in Might and it’ll run to the tip of the yr. We’re in talks with numerous traders and we’re actively seeking to provoke discussions with others,” stated Heikki Keskitalo, CCO and cofounder of the startup, which is creating Pekilo protein, a single cell protein (SCP) derived from fungi, made utilizing renewable uncooked supplies, business by-products.
The producer has its personal R&D lab in Espoo, close to Helsinki, with it additionally planning to construct a brand new pilot manufacturing facility there. “We’ve ordered the gear. The pilot website is ready to be up and working in Might this yr. It can produce 5-10kg of Pekilo protein per day, growing our potential to supply testing samples to numerous companions,” stated Keskitalo.
The startup, which started life within the startup incubator, Launchpad, run by Finnish technical analysis group, VTT, is concentrating on feed corporations serving aquaculture segments reminiscent of salmon and sea bass manufacturing, that are closely reliant on excessive protein feed parts.
Winner of the 2020 Nutreco Feed and Meals Tech Problem, eniferBio was awarded the proper to run salmon feeding research with Skretting. It did so within the second half of final yr: “The outcomes of that trial present that digestibility of Pekilo protein is corresponding to that of fishmeal, at round 85%.”
Keskitalo additionally flagged the financial viability of its SCP manufacturing course of. “I imagine we’re the one single cell protein firm that may obtain worth parity with soy protein focus (SPC), which is presently priced at round €900 per ton.”
Industrial side-streams
The Pekilo protein manufacturing mannequin is designed to leverage low-cost, fermentable side-streams, stated the CCO, and eniferBio has examined about 40 totally different, globally sourced, uncooked supplies, general, inside its smaller R&D fermenters. The distillation residues from bioethanol manufacturing, whether or not it’s sugarcane, sugar beet or starch primarily based, show the simplest, he stated.
Certainly, Tereos, which supported eniferBio in its validation work with Skretting, offered uncooked materials for the trial within the type of a by-product from the manufacturing of ethanol from beet molasses.
The partnerships with each Skretting and Tereos proceed, stated Keskitalo. However its industrial alliances transcend these; it has established enterprise relationships with 5 feedstock producers, in complete.
Potable alcohol producers, reminiscent of whiskey business gamers, might additionally show appropriate suppliers of uncooked materials for eniferBio’s course of. “Often the potable alcohol volumes are usually not giant sufficient, although. Having stated that, we’ve got been in talks with a big whiskey distillery so we might have a possible collaboration undertaking inside that sector.”
The Finnish firm envisages reaching industrial scale manufacturing – 10,000 tons per yr – inside a couple of years. The eventual location of that business plant, nevertheless, wouldn’t be in Finland as industrial side-streams in that market are usually not related, stated Keskitalo.
Curiously, the Pekilo protein course of was initially developed in Finland, within the Seventies, because the pulp and paper business invested closely to develop a expertise to transform side-streams from sulphite wooden pulping into SCP however developments in pulp manufacturing expertise progressively led to the substitute of sulphite pulping with a Kraft-based course of in that nation, stated Keskitalo.
“We expect the largest alternative [in relation to the location for the industrial plant] is in markets the place there may be vital bioethanol manufacturing. We wish to construct a small-scale demonstration plant in Finland, nevertheless. There are sufficient sugar-based side-stream suppliers there to help that. Many companions and traders want to see the method working at a barely bigger scale.”