Saudi Arabia is well-suited for the production of single-cell protein, known as Uniprotein®, as it relies on natural gas as a feedstock.
Unibio
The biofermentation company Unibio International PLC and the Saudi Industrial Investment Group (SIIG) plan to build the world's largest single-cell protein plant in Saudi Arabia, thereby introducing advanced industrial fermentation to the Kingdom.
Since 2023, when SIIG became an investment partner, both companies have been working to carry out this project, which will be based on Unibio’s patented vertical loop bioreactor technology.
Saudi Arabia is well-suited for the production of single-cell protein, known as Uniprotein®, as it relies on natural gas as a feedstock, and the country has abundant reserves of it.
According to Unibio, the plant will be located in Al Jubail and will have an initial production capacity of 50,000 tonnes of Uniprotein® per year. The aim is to increase this to more than 300,000 tonnes in the future and to reduce Saudi Arabia's dependence on imported animal feed.
Uniprotein® is a non-genetically modified product, free from pesticides and fully traceable. Its success has already been demonstrated in aquaculture in Saudi Arabia and in animal feed applications in the European Union, among other markets.
Regarding this project, CEO of Unibio, David Henstrom, said: "We are delighted to join with SIIG as a JV partner to bring industrial scale fermentation to the Kingdom and look forward to working together to address an authentic problem - how to feed a growing population with minimal impact on the planet."
In addition, Abdulrahman Alismail of Saudi Industrial Investment Group, noted: "We see this as a strategic investment for our company and the long-term growth in shareholder value. Using Unibio’s technology, we aim to make Saudi Arabia the leader in single-cell protein production and improve food security for both Saudi Arabia and the world’s growing population."
