A new project led by a consortium of industry and research organizations, including the Skretting Aquaculture Research Center, is aiming to produce a rich source of protein for fish feeds using wood.

The SYLFEED project will focus on upscaling a bio-refinery concept that can convert woody biomass into high-value Single Cell Protein (SCP) for use as animal feed, most notably in increasing fish production.

Wood residues are abundant and highly sustainable, while SCP has an amino-acid profile close to that of fish, making them an excellent raw material in fish feed formulation. 

The overall objective of the SYLFEED project is to build a demonstration plant with the capacity of treating 15 tonnes of biomass per day, i.e. up to five thousand tons of biomass per year.

From a technological perspective, the project intends to reach recovery levels of sugars from biomass similar to those at the pilot scale. It will also prove the feasibility of continuous operation and integrated recycling loops in order to reuse more than 99% of phosphoric acid.

From a socio-economic perspective, the project aims to provide a significant return on investment from the bio-refineries, to make it attractive to potential investors. It should also provide end-to-end mutual economic benefits between biomass providers, bio-refineries and fish feed producers

From an environmental perspective, the project aims to reduce contributions to human-induced global warming compared to other protein sources, with combined lifecycle greenhouse gas emissions and other contributions less than 50 percent of alternatives. It will also minimize human-induced global warming in the protein production chain, by sourcing, extracting and transporting raw materials using the most sustainable options. 

Learn more about SYLFEED