Single-cell protein producer, Unibio, announced that its project in Qatar with Doha-based industrial biotech investor, Gulf Biotech, entered the front-end engineering design stage (FEED) – the final stage before construction.

The contract will allow the construction of a Uniprotein® plant, the first single-cell protein plant in Qatar, with an initial production capacity of 9,000 tonnes of protein per year. The plant will use Unibio’s U-Loop® technology, where methane is converted through continuous fermentation to produce Uniprotein®. The Uniprotein® produced in the plant will be used as a protein supplement in feed for fish.

Qatar, which is rich in natural gas resources, has little ability to produce food. Therefore, by implementing Unibio’s U-Loop® technology, Qatar will boost its local protein production and increase the food security of all the people in the state and the surrounding region.

Gulf Biotech has shown its commitment to using innovative technology and Qatar’s natural resources to tackle the highly pressing challenge of producing sustainable food for the world’s rapidly growing population. Gulf Biotech has completed its feasibility study on the viability of the plant. The FEED for the development of the plant is due to be completed by early 2023.

“We are delighted with the progress made together with Gulf Biotech in reaching the FEED stage at what will be Qatar’s first single-cell protein plant. We need innovators and visionaries if we are to provide food security for the world’s growing population in a sustainable way, especially at a time when the global cost of food continues to rise. Qatar’s abundance of methane makes it an ideal region to use our technology. I am confident that together with our partners, we will play a pivotal role in being part of the solution in Qatar and beyond and look forward to updating our investors on this FEED result in due course,” said David Henstrom, CEO of Unibio.