New case study: turning carbon into fish feed - a sustainable solution for aquaculture

Transforming food production and supply chains by creating animal feed from carbon dioxide and hydrogen gases

Aquaculture is the world’s fastest-growing food sector, but growth depends on sustainable feed ingredients. Traditionally, salmon diets rely on fish meal and vegetable proteins, which face challenges such as limited supply, environmental impact, and competition with other food markets. This project explored an innovative alternative: single-cell protein (SCP) made from industrial CO₂ emissions.

Valued at £494,590, the project partners were Deep Branch Biotechnology (now Aerbio), University of Nottingham, Nottingham Trent University, University of Edinburgh, University of Stirling's Institute of Aquaculture, AB Agri, Sainsbury’s Supermarkets, BioMar, and Drax Corporate. The funders were SAIC and Innovate UK’s Industrial Strategy Challenge Fund (ISCF) - transforming food production.

The project assessed whether SCP could replace conventional protein sources in salmon feed. Produced using carbon dioxide and hydrogen gases, SCP offers a non-GM, locally produced ingredient that reduces reliance on imports and helps capture CO₂, supporting both sustainability and cost-effectiveness.

The project evaluated SCP’s digestibility, nutritional quality, and impact on fish health and growth. Although a planned large-scale feeding trial was replaced by a smaller digestibility study (completed with SalmoSim, a spin-out company created on the basis of a previous SAIC-funded research project), results provided proof of concept and generated valuable data on nutrition and gut microbiome interactions. These findings will inform future feed formulations and research.

Beyond the lab, the project has moved into commercial development. Aerbio has opened a pilot facility in the Netherlands, producing 200kg of SCP per month for feed trials. Plans are underway for a market launch facility capable of producing 250 tonnes annually, with future sites expected to scale up to 100,000 tonnes per year.

By turning waste carbon into high-quality protein, this approach could transform aquaculture supply chains, reduce environmental impact, and strengthen food security; benefiting the UK industry and major salmon-producing nations worldwide.

The full name of this project is ‘Evaluating CO₂-derived single-cell protein for sustainable fish feed’.

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