Innovation Fund Denmark is investing DKK 24.6 million (EUR 3.3 million) in a new Danish research project that will convert industrial waste gases into valuable low-carbon products at scale. The project aims to establish a national platform for continuous gas-based biomanufacturing and strengthen Denmark’s global position in industrial biotechnology.
The initiative addresses one of the key bottlenecks in the green transition: the lack of efficient, scalable infrastructure for converting CO₂ and other industrial gases into sustainable products. The Gas2X research and innovation project is designed to address this challenge.
The new gas fermentation platform will be installed at Unibio’s Innovation Centre in Kalundborg, where the company’s U-Loop® technology is used to convert methane into sustainable protein.
By using Unibio’s advanced U-Loop® bioreactor technology, the project partners will develop a continuous gas fermentation pilot platform specifically designed for gaseous substrates. The goal is to create a more energy-efficient and scalable alternative to conventional fermentation systems, which are typically poorly suited to gas-based production.
“The potential of gas fermentation is enormous, but the lack of scalable solutions has been a major barrier. With this project, we are taking an important step toward making biobased production from waste gases an industrial reality,” says Jens Dynesen, CSO, at Unibio A/S.
From waste gas to sustainable products
The new platform will enable the conversion of CO₂, CO, H₂ and methane into low-carbon chemicals and materials. It will serve both as a process development facility for companies working with gas fermentation and as a Carbon Capture and Utilisation test site for industries seeking to valorise their waste gas streams.
The project responds to the urgent need for technologies to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from hard-to-abate sectors that continue to rely heavily on fossil carbon. These industries account for a significant share of global emissions and are central to achieving Danish and international climate ambitions.
Efficient technology with a lower climate footprint
During the project, the partners will optimise mass transfer, reactor design and continuous operation to demonstrate high productivity with low energy consumption. Unibio’s superior vertical loop bioreactor is expected to deliver significantly improved gas-to-liquid transfer and greater flexibility across different gas sources compared with existing technologies.
As a result, the project is expected to support national climate ambitions through new Carbon Capture and Utilization solutions, accelerate industrial decarbonization, and create new opportunities for growth, exports and global technological leadership.
The project is a collaboration between Unibio A/S and Again and is funded by Innovation Fund Denmark.
Facts
Innovation Fund Denmark investment: DKK 24.6 million
Total budget: DKK 37.1 million
Duration: 3 years
Official title: Novel Danish Gas-Fermentation Demonstration Facility for Gas-2-X Applications
About the partners
Unibio is a global technology company specialising in advanced gas fermentation and its proprietary U-Loop® technology, which converts methane and other gases into valuable products. Originally developed for sustainable protein production, Unibio’s platform has broader industrial potential across a wide range of applications.
Again is a global biotech company transforming the way essential products are made. Headquartered in Copenhagen, the company converts waste CO₂ into valuable products, offering cost-competitive, resilient and lower-carbon solutions for commodity, speciality and fine chemicals, as well as fertilisers.
Like this article? Share the love: