Norwegian biotech company Aker BioMarine has enlisted GEA to design the “world’s first” pilot plant for hydrolising krill protein, slated to open in 2022.
Aker BioMarine – which fishes for Antarctic krill and uses them to develop ingredients for functional food, aquaculture and animal feed – will establish the new plant in order to commercialise a highly concentrated krill protein powder isolate for human consumption.
The site will be built in Ski Næringspark near Oslo, and the company hopes the new facility will help to accelerate Norway’s marine biotechnology competence cluster.
“With GEA’s expertise in engineering plants for food ingredients, we look forward to starting operations in a highly innovative facility that will also house our research and innovation center,” said Kees van de Watering, VP Process Engineering at Aker BioMarine.
“Innovators such as Aker BioMarine are not only unlocking entirely new sources of human nutrition and health but also doing so without compromising the climate and environment. We are thrilled to join Aker BioMarine on their journey into researching and commercialising krill protein,” says Heinz-Jürgen Kroner, senior VP Liquid Technologies at GEA.
“Assisting in developing new food sources provides us with an exciting opportunity to showcase our own creativity in process technology,” he added.
The contract between Aker and GEA was valued in the “double digit million euro range” and was signed in July 2021.
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