Solar Foods’ factory uses renewable energy and feeds microorganisms greenhouse gases to produce a protein powder that can replace milk and eggs.
At the newly opened factory of Finnish company Solar Foods in the suburbs of Helsinki, scientists are developing protein by utilizing air and electricity, AFP reported on May 23. They feed microorganisms CO2, hydrogen, and some minerals, while powering the process with electricity from renewable sources. As a result, they have successfully created a protein powder that can replace milk and eggs.
Technicians controlling the bioreaction process at the Solar Foods headquarters in Vantaa, Finland, on May 2, 2024. (Photo: AFP).
“We can derive the primary food for the bacteria from air. We have started producing the most sustainable protein in the world,” said Pasi Vainikka, CEO of Solar Foods. Established in 2017, Solar Foods opened the world’s first factory that produces food from air last month.
“Most animal-like proteins today can be produced through cell agriculture, allowing us to let agricultural land return to wilderness, thereby building carbon storage,” Vainikka added, referring to the processes of reforestation and land management that help absorb and store carbon.
The new protein produced by Solar Foods is called solein, resembling a yellow powder. One kilogram of solein emits greenhouse gases less than 130 times compared to protein produced from beef in the European Union (EU), according to a scientific study in 2021.
Changing the way food is produced and consumed is central to combating the climate crisis and preventing biodiversity loss, according to Emilia Nordlund, head of the food and industrial biotechnology research department at VTT Technical Research Centre. Current projections suggest that meat consumption will rise in the coming years.
“Industrial food production, especially the production of livestock and poultry, is one of the largest sources of greenhouse gas emissions and the leading cause of biodiversity loss, eutrophication, and freshwater depletion,” Nordlund stated. She mentioned that new food production technologies can help reduce emissions, but existing methods also need to be improved.
At Solar Foods’ facility, microorganisms inside a fermentation device—a massive 20,000-liter steel tank—multiply when fed greenhouse gases. The liquid containing the microorganisms is continuously extracted from the tank to process into a light yellow protein powder with a creamy flavor reminiscent of nuts.
“The fermenter produces an amount of protein equivalent to that of 300 dairy cows or 50,000 egg-laying hens each day,” Vainikka noted. This figure equates to 5 million protein meals per year.
Currently, the main goal of the small factory in Helsinki is to demonstrate that the technology can be scaled up, thereby attracting investment. The new protein has been approved for sale in Singapore, where some restaurants use this ingredient to make ice cream. However, the protein from bacteria is still awaiting classification as food in the EU and the United States. Vainikka mentioned that to truly make an impact, their goal is to build an industrial-scale factory that is 100 times larger than the one in Helsinki.
