Periodic Reporting for period 2 - Proton (Recycling industrial CO2 into cost-competitive protein for high-value, sustainable animal feed)
Période du rapport: 2021-10-01 au 2023-09-30
Increasing population and per capita consumption of animal products will double the demand for animal products by 2050. With the current 4% CAGR for the animal feed market, it is estimated that the equivalent of >25 million tonnes of additional protein ingredients could be required by 2028. Current climate targets mean that no increase in deforestation or overfishing can be afforded to enable increased soy and fishmeal output, but regardless of these considerations, the Earth is simply unable to provide this much protein from conventional sources. With this in mind, Deep Branch defines the total addressable market for Proton™ as the €50bn gap between current supply of incumbent protein ingredients and future demand by 2030 entering as a non-disruptive player.
Deep Branch has developed Proton™, a cost-competitive and radically more sustainable alternative to conventional protein sources for animal feed. Proton™ has the potential for significant replacement of conventional protein sources, such as soy and fishmeal. Deep Branch has successfully validated the (R)evolve™ platform in a containerised, Mobile Pilot Unit (MPU) using purified CO2 at industrial locations in the UK and Netherlands. The company's initial focus will be on the €44bn aquaculture feed markets, with the €100bn+ monogastric market to follow.
The EIC Accelerator project was scoped to deliver a first-in-class pilot facility for Proton™ production at the Brightlands Chemelot Campus in Geleen (The Netherlands). The objectives of the project were to build a Pilot Plant capable of producing >200 kg Proton™ per month, to fully validate the nutritional viability of Proton™, to complete the design for a demo plant and to secure necessary IP protection.
To date, the project has successfully progressed through a series of deployment phases for the pilot, from Concept through to Detailed Design, and most recently facility installation phases. Significant procurement activities were undertaken following the extensive design phases, and final phases of deployment are nearing completion for the first-of-a-kind facility, including installation activities for both the core system and the supporting infrastructure of the wider facility.
Moreover, small volumes of Proton™ production has continued from our lab in Nottingham (UK). These volumes were used to validate the nutritious value of the product.
The completion of the installation phase of the project is set for the end of 2023, with commissioning of the pilot and the subsequent first production campaign scheduled for the first quarter of 2024. The final result of the project will be a fully bespoke Pilot Plant, at the Deep Branch Scale-up Hub located on the Brightlands Campus, Geleen, Netherlands.