Carbon dioxide captured at Drax Power Station could soon be used to make proteins for sustainable animal feed products.
Earlier this year, Drax announced it had successfully caught CO2 emissions before they were released into the atmosphere at its plant near Goole.
Now Drax has teamed up with start-up business Deep Branch Biotechnology to explore how its technology could benefit the agriculture sector.
Deep Branch Biotechnology will use Drax’s Carbon Capture Usage and Storage (CCUS) Incubation Area to extract flue gases from its process.
Those gases can feed microbes, which in turn make proteins for use in fish food and other animal feed.
Will Gardiner, CEO at Drax Group, said: “By giving partners like Deep Branch Biotechnology access to our CCUS Incubation Area we can test emerging technologies and explore their potential in delivering for both the climate and the economy.
“We want to create a cleaner environment for future generations whilst generating new jobs and export opportunities for British businesses.
“Technologies like this could enable some of our more difficult to decarbonise sectors, like agriculture, to make positive changes to address the climate crisis.”
A dedicated Incubation Area has been created at Drax to give other technology companies the opportunity to test their processes on its carbon dioxide.
The power station has also held discussions with the British Beer and Pub Association about the possibility of captured CO2 being used to carbonate drinks.
Peter Rowe, CEO at Deep Branch Biotechnology, said: “Meat production is set to double by 2050 as global populations increase, but using existing methods of producing animal feeds to meet this growing demand is completely unsustainable.
“The technology we’ve developed is an exciting solution. We can convert up to 60-70% of CO2 into protein, helping to both minimise the greenhouse gases released into the atmosphere during power generation and other industrial processes, whilst producing protein for animal feeds which will help reduce the impact of agricultural sectors on the environment as well.”
The Deep Branch pilot will get underway in the autumn, when a demonstration plant will be installed within the Drax CCUS Incubation Area.
It aims to capture enough CO2 to produce 100kg of protein to be used to create feedstock for fish and livestock.
The protein generated from the project will be used in a trial project with a major feed producer.
If successful, Deep Branch Biotechnology plans to build a larger production facility by 2020 so it can produce several tonnes of protein per year.
Chris Skidmore, Minister for Energy and Clean Growth, said, “Carbon capture, usage and storage technologies are not only putting fizz in our drinks but feeding fish too.
“As we move towards net zero emissions and end our contribution to global warming, innovative projects like this will help reduce agricultural emissions and meet increasing demand for animal feed, demonstrating the enormous global potential CCUS has to tackle climate change.”