据烃加工在线 6月27日消息称，英国石油风险投资公司已向另一家蛋白质生产商Calysta公司投资3000万美元，该公司将利用英国石油的天然气生产用于鱼类、牲畜和宠物饲料的蛋白质。

这笔投资支持了英国石油创建新市场的战略，在这个市场中，天然气可以在提供更可持续的未来方面发挥重要作用，并在英国石油与总部位于加州的初创企业Calysta之间建立围绕天然气和电力供应的战略关系。

Calysta独有的气体发酵技术生产出FeedKind?蛋白，这是一种可持续的饲料，可用于鱼类、牲畜和宠物的营养产品。这一创新过程有潜力帮助满足水产养殖和更广泛的农业市场对饲料不断增长的需求，而不受当前采购方法的一些环境影响。

到2025年，全球水产养殖市场预计将增长25%。这一进程将有助于打击过度捕捞，以应对预期的增长。FeedKind蛋白质可以作为目前使用的其他蛋白质来源的可持续替代品，如鱼粉和大豆浓缩蛋白。

BP集团战略部主管Dominic Emery表示：“通过将Calysta令人兴奋的技术和创业动力，与英国石油的全球规模和天然气市场专长相结合，这种合作关系为全球不断增长的人口提供了改善粮食安全和可持续发展的机会。”

Calysta首席执行官兼总裁Alan Shaw博士补充说：“欢迎BP作为合作伙伴，对FeedKind蛋白来说是一大进步，也是Calysta在资源有限的世界中解决粮食不安全问题能够并将实现全球规模的最佳指标。”

“我们期待着与英国石油公司密切合作，为向世界交付这一产品做准备。Calysta将受益于英国石油公司卓越的运营业绩，并在部署多个生产工厂时注重安全。”

在FeedKind过程中，一种自然生长的细菌在专用发酵罐中生长，发酵罐使用甲烷作为碳和能源。这就产生了一种单细胞蛋白，它在被制成颗粒之前被收集和干燥。自然发酵过程类似于面包酵母的生产。Calysta的微生物是全世界健康土壤中天然存在的成分。FeedKind对饲喂FeedKind的海鲜或动物的风味或质地特征没有影响。

英国石油的投资将使Calysta能够扩大蛋白质的产量，并支持其在全球推广的雄心。该公司在英国提赛德的市场引进设施已经在生产FeedKind蛋白，以支持与全球领先动物营养公司的市场开发活动。

迄今为止，英国石油通过英国石油风险投资公司向50多个实体的科技公司投资了5亿多美元。风险投资公司在BP应对双重挑战的战略中扮演着关键角色，即满足世界对更多能源的需求，同时减少碳排放。

曹海斌 摘译自 烃加工在线

原文如下：

BP invests in technology to produce animal feeds from natural gas

BP Ventures has made an investment of US$30 million in Calysta, Inc., an alternative protein producer, that will use BP’s natural gas to produce protein for fish, livestock and pet feeds.

The investment supports BP’s strategy of creating new markets in which gas can play a material role in delivering a more sustainable future and establishing a strategic relationship between BP and California-based start-up Calysta around gas and power supply.

Calysta’s proprietary gas fermentation technology produces FeedKind? protein, a sustainable feedstock that can be used for fish, livestock and pet nutritional products. The innovative process has the potential to help meet the growing demand for feed in the aquaculture and wider agriculture markets without some of the environmental impacts of current sourcing methods.

The global aquaculture market is expected to grow up to 25% by 2025. The process will help combat overfishing in response to the projected growth. FeedKind protein can be a sustainable substitute for other protein sources currently used – such as fishmeal and soy protein concentrate.

Dominic Emery, BP’s Group Head of Strategy, said: “By pairing Calysta’s exciting technology and entrepreneurial drive with BP’s global scale and gas market expertise, this partnership offers the opportunity to improve food security and sustainability for the world’s growing population.”

Alan Shaw PhD, CEO and President of Calysta, added: “Welcoming BP as a partner is a tremendous step forward for FeedKind protein and the best indicator yet that Calysta’s solution to food insecurity in a resource-constrained world can and will achieve global scale.

“We look forward to working closely with BP as we prepare to deliver this product to the world, and Calysta will benefit from BP’s operational excellence and focus on safety when deploying multiple production plants.”

During the FeedKind process, a naturally occurring bacteria is grown in a proprietary fermenter using methane as its carbon and energy source. This creates a single cell protein that is harvested and dried prior to being pelletised. The natural fermentation process is similar to the production of yeast for bread. Calysta’s micro-organisms are a naturally occurring component of healthy soils worldwide. FeedKind has no impact on the flavour or texture profile of seafood or animals fed FeedKind.

BP’s investment will enable Calysta to expand production of its protein and support its ambition for a global rollout. FeedKind protein is already being produced from the company’s Market Introduction Facility (MIF) in Teesside, UK to support market development activities with leading animal nutrition companies around the world.

To date, BP has invested more than US$500 million in technology companies across more than 50 entities through BP Ventures. Venturing plays a key role in BP’s strategy to tackle the dual challenge of meeting the world’s need for more energy, while at the same time reducing carbon emissions.

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