Unibio, the leading sustainable protein company has won the ‘Kalundborg Business Council’s “Green 2023 Environment and Climate award’.

The award was given to Unibio because of the significant positive impact the Company’s product will have on world food production while substantially reducing global water consumption compared to the cultivation of soybeans.

Unibio has developed a fermentation technology – the U-Loop® fermenter – to produce single-cell protein with methane as feedstock. The protein – Uniprotein® – is a high-quality protein comparable to fishmeal and soy. The U-Loop® replicates a process happening every day in nature and the production of Uniprotein® requires no arable land, has a very low water usage, and has no negative impact on the Earth’s ecosystem. The protein is currently approved as feed in the EU and is under development for human consumption.

CEO of Unibio David Henstrom commented: “On behalf of the entire Unibio team I would like to thank the Kalundborg Business Council for this award and for recognising the contribution Unibio is making in feeding the world in a more sustainable way.  We are very proud of the work that Unibio is doing to enable our customers to secure sustainable protein for the future, and we are delighted that our work has been recognized by the local business community in this way.”

The Green 2023 Environment and Climate Award was awarded by the chairman of Kalundborg Forsyning’s board of directors, Karl-Åge Hornshøj Poulsen at Kalundborg Business Council’s yearly award show. Each year, the award is given to a company located in the Kalundborg Municipality of Denmark that is leading the way in countering climate change and providing green alternative products for the future.

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Photo courtesy of  TV-Kalundborg.

London/Copenhagen 28 March 2023: Unibio International PLC, the leading sustainable protein company, is pleased to announce that the Saudi Industrial Investment Group (“SIIG”) has signed an agreement to invest approximately US$70 million (GBP 59 million) in Unibio. The proceeds will be deployed to enable Unibio’s vision of feeding the world’s growing population in a sustainable way. Unibio will use the funds to roll-out new global production capacity, grow operating capabilities, and accelerate innovation and commercialisation.

Improve the world’s food security

Through industrial protein production based on Unibio’s unique fermentation technology – the U-Loop® technology – it is possible to improve food security and feed the world’s growing population in a sustainable way without use of arable land and with low water usage. The fermentation technology mimics a process that occurs in nature every day and uses methane (e.g. natural gas or biogas) as feedstock. The production of Uniprotein® is efficient, stable, and independent of weather deviations that impact the production of traditional protein sources.

Uniprotein® is approved for feed in the European Union and global registrations are in progress. The protein provides nutrition on par with or better than other high-quality proteinsx, such as fishmeal, and has been tested successfully in various aqua and animal species. Uniprotein® is free from pesticides, fully traceable, and non-GMO. It has been launched commercially and Uniprotein® is attracting significant global interest from feed compound companies and animal and fish farmers. The production of Unibio’s protein for direct human consumption is under development.

David Henstrom, CEO of Unibio commented:

“We are delighted to welcome SIIG as a significant investor in Unibio. Their investment will enable us to play a pivotal role in meeting our customers’ need for sustainable protein. Unibio’s technology will improve food security and speed up the process of feeding the world in a sustainable way. We are pleased that SIIG shares our ambition of providing food security for the world’s growing population and helping stop hunger (#SDG2) and we look forward to working together to make it happen.”

Mr. Abdulrahman S. Alismail, CEO of the Saudi Industrial Investment Group, added:

“We are extremely pleased to invest in Unibio and see it as strongly aligned with SIIG’s new strategy to diversify its investments, enter new sectors focused on sustainability and new technologies, and develop partnerships with international companies. Unibio’s focus aligns with Saudi Arabia’s commitment to increasing domestic protein production and supporting food security through innovation and technology. We are investing in Unibio for the long-term and believe that by doing so we will contribute to a more diverse and sustainable economy.”

The investment in Unibio will be paid in two tranches: the first tranche of approximately US$25 million (GBP 21 million) is paid now with the second subject to applicable Foreign Direct Investment approvals.  BofA Securities acted as placement agent to Unibio in connection with the transaction.

Diets with Uniprotein® increase productivity & profits.

Unibio, a leading sustainable protein company, is pleased to announce that an initial trial of its single-cell protein, Uniprotein®, on whiteleg shrimp (Penaeus vannamei) has been conducted and delivered up to 75% improved survival rate compared to a control group fed with fishmeal.

In shrimp production, mortality, which can be as high as 80%, is a major challenge and an economical and ethical problem for the producer.  Accordingly, Unibio is undertaking a series of trials depicting an improving survival rate, substituting high-quality protein fishmeal with its own sustainable protein, Uniprotein®.

Initial tests, conducted by the Instituto de Investigación y Tecnología Agroalimentarias in Spain as part of the Valuewaste EU project, confirmed that substituting fishmeal with Uniprotein® increased survival rates. With a 100% inclusion of fishmeal the survival rate was 37% and by substituting all fishmeal with Uniprotein® the survival rate increased to 67% – an improvement of 75%.  Additionally, Uniprotein® performs as well as fishmeal on feed conversion ratio. The results indicate that the shrimp production industry could improve productivity and profits by replacing fishmeal with Uniprotein®.

Commenting on the trial, David Henstrom, CEO of Unibio said: “We are delighted with the positive results of this trial, which confirmed the viability of Uniprotein® as a replacement for fishmeal in whiteleg shrimp. Importantly, it has shown that Uniprotein® can increase the survival rate of shrimp by about 75%, which could potentially transform the shrimp industry by improving sales and increasing profits”.

Improved Immune Response

Based on results from the initial tests, a challenge trial with Vibrio harveyi was conducted to induce a stressor to the shrimp and investigate if Uniprotein® affected the immune response during the challenge. Results from this trial showed that Uniprotein® supplemented feeds – with 100% replacement of fishmeal – decreased the mortality from 16% to 2%. Such results indicate that Uniprotein® triggers an interesting immune response that needs further investigation.

Feeding Trial & Conclusion

Unibio’s initial nutritional trial, which followed the lifecycle of a shrimp and was conducted over a five-month period, comprised 24 200L tanks of water connected to a RAS system each with 100 post-larvae shrimp and 7 different diets with various percentages of Uniprotein® replacing fishmeal.

Uniprotein® Plant Enters Front-end Engineering Design Stage –

Final Stage Before Construction.

Unibio, the leading sustainable protein company, is pleased to announce that its strategic licensing partner, the Doha-based industrial biotech investor Gulf Biotech, has reached the final stage before the construction of the first single-cell protein (‘SCP’) plant in Qatar by entering the Front-end Engineering Design Stage (‘FEED’). Qatar is a country that is rich in natural gas resources but has little or no farmland or the ability to produce protein for its population or the surrounding region. By using our technology to produce protein locally, it helps to utilize their abundant resources, to directly enhance food security.

The plant will use Unibio’s U-Loop® technology, where methane is converted through continuous fermentation to produce Uniprotein®.  The Uniprotein® produced in the plant will be used as a protein supplement in feed for fish and animals to supplement the deficit due to shortages of fish meal or soy.   The production of Uniprotein® is highly resource-efficient and sustainable compared with the production of traditional protein. Relative to soy production, Uniprotein® uses no arable land and significantly less water. Initial production is estimated to be 9,000 tonnes of protein per year.

Gulf Biotech, represented by His Excellency Hitmi Al-Hitmi, has shown its commitment to using innovative technology and Qatar’s natural resources to tackle the highly pressing challenge of producing sustainable food for the world’s rapidly growing population. Gulf Biotech has completed their feasibility study on the viability of the plant.  The FEED for the development of the plant is due to be completed by early 2023.

David Henstrom, CEO of Unibio commented:

“We are absolutely delighted with the progress made together with Gulf Biotech in reaching the FEED stage at what will be Qatar’s first single cell protein (‘SCP’) plant.  We need innovators and visionaries if we are to provide food security for the world’s growing population in a sustainable way, especially at a time when the global cost of food continues to rise. Qatar’s abundance of methane makes it an ideal region to use our technology.  I am confident that together with our partners, we will play a pivotal role in being part of the solution in Qatar and beyond and look forward to updating our investors on this FEED result in due course.”

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His Excellency Hitmi Al-Hitmi, Founder of Gulf Biotech, said:

“Through the planning and the feasibility study we have had a professional and constructive dialogue with Unibio to develop the project and adapt the plant to Qatar conditions. We look forward to finalizing the FEED phase and starting the construction of the first sustainable protein plant in Qatar. We see enormous potential for the future of sustainable development of our business and achieving food security for the country by providing a sustainable and economically viable source for animal feed products.”  

Unibio has successfully tested up to 15% inclusion of Uniprotein® in trout diet with enthusiastic adoption by the fish

Uniprotein® is a sustainable solution to meet the growing need for protein

‍Copenhagen, 29th March 2022 – Unibio, the sustainable protein company, is testing its Uniprotein® product as a replacement protein source for animal and fish feed mixes. Unibio’s most recent trial with farmed trout shows that Uniprotein® can easily be added to a feed mixture at an inclusion rate of up to 15% without a reduction in protein digestibility or growth rates. With a growing global population there is an urgent need for new and more sustainable protein sources. Uniprotein® is produced through the natural microbial fermentation of natural gas, including biogas, with very low land and water use. Uniprotein® is a high-quality protein that can easily replace other high-quality proteins (e.g. fishmeal).

‍About the Trial

‍Unibio today announced the results of a trial it has been conducting with BioMar, a world leader in high-performance diets for more than 45 different aquacultured species, and DTU Aqua, the National Institute of Aquatic Resources at the Technical University of Denmark. The project, which is part of a larger GUDP project[1] looking into the development of sustainable protein ingredients for animal feed, tested Unibio’s Uniprotein® product in trout, a key salmonid species, to scale up into the aquafeed business.

The trial was very successful, with a high feed intake and enthusiastic adoption by the fish. Following a standardized methodology the trial demonstrated that Uniprotein® can be included in trout diets up to 15% with the same high protein digestibility as seen for fishmeal.

‍David Henstrom, Chief Executive Officer of Unibio, said:

‍“If we are to feed the world and meet the feed demands of the ever-growing population, we need to find more sustainable ways of farming fish. Uniprotein® can play an important role in reducing the current reliance and pressure on wild fish with a very efficient use of land and water and a lower carbon footprint in the future. This trial has not only shown that Uniprotein® was highly digestible, but also that the fish in the trial seemed to enjoy the taste of Uniprotein®.”

‍Fernando Norambuena, Sourcing Innovation Specialist from BioMar, said:

‍“These are very promising results in terms of digestibility which would bode well for the adoption of Uniprotein® in trout feed. We have seen good acceptance by the fish, and we look forward to the results on growth performance from current trials to better understand the potential of this raw material on commercial formulations. Including Uniprotein® in commercial diets as a new alternative ingredient in aquafeed will definitely help reduce pressure on wild ecosystems and move towards achieving our 2030 sustainability goal.”

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Unibio uses innovative, continuous-flow, natural, microbial fermentation to produce Uniprotein®, a high-quality alternative protein, which can replace products such as fish meal, soy protein concentrates and other high-end protein ingredients in feed for fish and other animals. Uniprotein® is a close substitute to high-quality fishmeal, an issue of growing importance as the production of fishmeal is putting stress on marine ecosystems with Peru alone processing 4-7 million tonnes of fish per year, equivalent to between 160 and 280 billion anchoveta[2]. Unibio’s technology enables the production of more sustainable protein in very large and scalable volumes to help meet the world’s growing protein needs.[1] GUDP is a modern grant scheme for businesses that are open to innovation[2] Source Aquareg

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[1] GUDP is a modern grant scheme for businesses that are open to innovation

[2] Source Aquareg

Profound Threat to Natural Habitats Unless Adoption of Alternative Protein Accelerates

‍Copenhagen, 24 February 2022 – Unibio, the sustainable protein company, today released new research, which shows that 31 million hectares of new farmland, equivalent to all the arable land in Germany and France combined[1], would need to be planted with soy alone by 2050 to deliver the additional protein the world will need to feed itself.

‍COP26 – Stop deforestation

‍However, global leaders at the recent COP26 Climate Summit recognised the critical impact of deforestation on climate change, and one of the key commitments reached at the Summit was to halt and reverse forest loss and land degradation by 2030.

‍Possible to stop deforestation

‍Unibio has developed a sustainable protein derived from natural microbial fermentation, which it is now producing at an industrial scale, the first company in the world to do so. With the production method it is possible to produce unlimited amounts of protein to feed the world’s growing population and prevent the deforestation.

‍Heavily growing population – a new solution is needed

David Henstrom, Chief Executive Officer, Unibio said: “With the global population forecast to reach almost 10 billion people by 2050, an increase of 25% of today’s population, more food will be needed than has ever been produced before in the history of the world combined to feed them. This food has to come from somewhere.

“In recent years, much of the expansion of production has come from the ‘Brazilian savannah’, the Cerrado, where one hectare of virgin Cerrado stores around 137 tons of CO2 equivalent. Protecting 31 million hectares of Cerrado would save 4,148 million tons of CO2 from being emitted – or 134 million tons/year, roughly twice Denmark’s total annual emissions. Similarly, the production of fishmeal can put undue stress on marine ecosystems with the production of just one ton of fishmeal requiring the capture and processing of around 135,000 fish[2]. Peru alone processes over 4-7 million tonnes of fish per year, equivalent to between 160 and 280 billion anchoveta.”

‍Let’s join forces

David Henstrom added: “We urge all global leaders to join forces in accelerating the adoption of alternative proteins, such as Unibio’s groundbreaking Uniprotein®, to help reduce the pressures of deforestation and prevent land-use change. The world is facing an unprecedented environmental stress with the threat of increased deforestation, habitat and biodiversity loss, and the accelerating damage to our ecosystems. This is why the adoption of alternative sources of protein, in order to feed the ever-growing population, is of paramount importance.”

Unibio’s innovative, continuous-flow, natural, microbial fermentation process uses its proprietary U-Loop® technology to produce Uniprotein®. Uniprotein® is a high-quality alternative protein, which can replace products such as fish meal and concentrated soya in feed for fish and other animals, such as pigs. Unibio’s technology enables production of more sustainable protein in very large and scalable volumes to help meet the world’s growing protein needs.

Uniprotein® is a close substitute to high-quality fishmeal (LT Fishmeal), but it can also substitute highly concentrated soy product, both being increasingly scarce resources. In addition, the product has been shown to be safe to use in piglet feed compound as a starter feed, in partial supplement of potato protein. Unibio’s technology has been proven at industrial scale and has been commercially shipped, for example to the Danish compound feed company, Danish Agro – who are using Uniprotein® as a fixed part of its feed mixes.

‍Ends[1] Source – https://www.nationmaster.com/country-info/group-stats/Group-of-7-countries-(G7)/Agriculture/Arable-land/Hectares

[2] Fish = Peruvian anchoveta – source: Aquareg