In Greece, CycleØ Group, a developer of biomethane plants in Europe, and Solmeyea Biotech, a Greek deep-tech start-up producing carbon-negative food protein at scale, have announced the successful launch of a pilot unit that uses their combined technologies to create high-value protein from residual carbon dioxide through biological transformation.
Installed in Greece, the pilot combines patented technologies from CycleØ and Solmeyea Biotech and aims to convert 100 tonnes of waste carbon dioxide (CO2) from industrial processes to 15 tonnes of food proteins annually.
The project has long-term implications for food security and CO2 reduction, bringing substantial positive environmental benefits and creating new green jobs.
Algal food-grade protein
The process uses algae to produce a high-value food protein, known as “MEY”, with this pilot representing the first step in a plan to produce up to 160,000 tonnes of food proteins per year by 2033, to be achieved through the construction of the world’s first carbon-negative food factory and the creation of a carbon-negative food chain.
Today marks a deeply meaningful milestone for Solmeyea and for the future of carbon utilization in food production. What we have successfully demonstrated together with CycleØ is that CO2 should not be viewed as a waste stream to be captured and stored, but also as a valuable feedstock that can be biologically transformed into nutritious, high-value and carbon-negative food ingredients, said Vasilis Stenos, CEO and co-founder of Solmeyea Biotech.
This innovation would remove up to 500,000 tonnes of CO2 per year from the atmosphere, transforming CO2 from industrial processes, which would otherwise need to be captured and stored, and creating around 11,000 new direct and indirect jobs in Greece.
For Solmeyea, this pilot is the first tangible step toward building a new kind of industrial food chain, one that is decoupled from agricultural land, freshwater scarcity and climate instability, while directly supporting food security, industrial decarbonization and European bioeconomic resilience. The success of the pilot has been made possible by finding the right partner in CycleØ and its Biogasclean technology, which brought the required technical sophistication and multidisciplinary collaboration for project success, Vasilis Stenos said.
The growth of Solmeyea Biotech is supported by several EU innovation bodies, including Circular Bio-based Europe Joint Undertaking, EIT Food, ESA (European Space Agency) and the European Innovation Council, which have so far provided more than €7.0 million in development grants.
Using our proprietary biotrickling reactor to support food production innovation is an exciting new application of our established biogenic CO2 treatment technology. This pilot proves the scalability of innovative protein production and offers a meaningful way to support future food security, said Laurence Molke, CEO of CycleØ.
