PLENITUDE

First-of-its-kind, large-scale, lowest-cost, zero-waste biorefinery for the production of proteins for food and feed application from low cost sustainable feedstocks.

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Project details

Type of project: Innovation Action – Flagship
Project focus: Food, feed & cosmetics
Feedstock origin: Agri-food waste
Feedstock type: Crop residues

Project period: 1 October 2019 - 31 December 2025
Status: Completed
CBE JU Contribution: € 16 937 253,61
Call identifier: H2020-BBI-JTI-2018

Summary

Emissions from livestock are a major contributor to rising CO₂ levels causing almost 15 per cent of anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions. In addition, the amount of land devoted to food production is a major cause of a loss of biodiversity. Without action, the growing population and consequently increasing demand for food – particularly proteins – the situation is likely to deteriorate.

The PLENITUDE project will address this issue by producing food-grade protein sustainably by integrating an aerobic fermentation plant with a conventional first-generation biorefinery. This will help to meet the growing demand for protein without the impact on CO₂ emissions or on biodiversity. The process will use sustainable cereal crops as its feedstock. The process will be highly efficient, with zero waste, while producing food-grade protein with a feed conversion ratio superior to current alternatives.