German biotech scale-up MicroHarvest, a producer of protein ingredients through biomass fermentation, is set to build its first large-scale production facilty in Leuna, Germany.

The company has reached a key milestone in its planning process for the facility, with consultancy partner Drees & Sommer having now completed the technical and economic feasibility study. With the site at Industriepark Leuna, Saxony-Anhalt confirmed as feasible, Drees & Sommer will now lead project management and general planning through the design phase.

According to the companies, the facility is on track for an annual capacity of 15,000 tonnes, a mid-double-digit million-euro investment, and around 25 new jobs at the site. Production is targeted to begin in the first half of 2028.

MicroHarvest uses regional agri-food side streams, such as molasses – a byproduct of sugar production – to produce its alternative protein ingredient through its biomass fermentation process.

The resulting dried biomass provides over 60% raw protein, MicroHarvest said, offering a good source of amino acids, vitamins and minerals. The full process, from raw material to finished protein powder, takes around 24 hours. It involves no genetic engineering and is independent of weather or season.

MicroHarvest aims to fulfil demand for domestically produced protein sources in Europe, for both livestock and human nutrition. The European Union (EU) largely depends on imports for this, including soya, of which the EU grows only around 8%.

Jonathan Roberz, co-founder and COO of MicroHarvest, said: “Whoever ties their protein supply to Argentina, Brazil or the US has little room to manoeuvre when ports are blocked, harvests fail or export tariffs are imposed”.

“Leuna gives us the chance to become independent and resilient. That’s the opportunity in front of us right now.”

Drees & Sommer’s feasibility study assessed the project’s framework conditions, from regulatory requirements to potential risks, with the team evaluating different planning scenarios for cost efficiency and optimisation potential.

“We’re planning areas for raw material reception, storage and preparation, alongside a plant for drying, filling and packaging the protein, and systems that support the fermentation process,” said Manuel Paulick, project lead at Drees & Sommer.

“Offices, laboratories, technical building equipment and outdoor facilities round out the plan.”

MicroHarvest proved its process at pilot scale first, opening a facility in Lisbon, Portugal, in November 2023. The pilot plant initially produced 25kg of protein per day on around 200 square metres, providing evidence of scalability. Learnings from the pilot now feed into the Leuna design.

While the team is initially designing the plant for animal feed production, it will extend this to food-standard certification later. The aquaculture and pet food industries will be targeted first, with human food to follow once EFSA approval is secured under the Novel Food process. Potential food applications include protein bars, meat and meat analogues.