R&D Grass protein factory - If it works, it's probably out of date

01 About

02 The benefits

03 Process overview

04 The advantages of grass fields

05 Production of organic biogas

06 Grass Protein

Increase your profitability and climate footprint with protein feed extracted from grass

The agriculture is preoccupied with sustainable production and that is the reason why agriculture is notoriously challenged by the fact that we must import soya from South America and Asia.

In cooperation with SEGES, Vestjyllands Andel, and Ausumgaard, R&D Engineering & Automation have developed a plant that can extract protein of grass and thus offering Danish pig and poultry producers a climate-friendly alternative to the soya protein that is currently imported from South America and Asia.

The plant will be the first of its kind in Denmark and will secure a new production line of sustainable and locally produced, high-end protein feed.

Besides the extraction of protein from grass, the plant also contributes to optimisation of all processes related to the treatment of grass, extraction of the protein, and the utilisation of the by-products. Furthermore, the factory can contribute to the production of organic biogas by using the by-products from the production to increase the production of biogas.

The project is supported by subvention from 'Grønt Udviklings- og Demonstrationsprogram' (GUDP) under the Ministry of Environment and Food of Denmark.

The benefits of the grass protein factory

Watch the video and learn about the benefits of the grass protein factory

Process overview: the extraction of protein from grass

The advantages of grass fields

Protein from grass can significantly increase cattle, pig, and poultry producers' climate footprint. The grass fields can also result in more sustainable and better utilisation of the areas. The advantages include:

Minimising weeds at crop rotation without the use of pesticides

Helping the soil to absorb water during heavy rain

Detaining water during drought

4x harvest during a season of 6 month

How grass contributes to the production of organic biogas

In addition to the extraction of protein from grass, the factory can also contribute to the production of organic biogas.

The factory uses the by-product (squeezed grass etc) to increase the production of biogas. This will ensure optimal use of the by-products from the production of organic grass protein seeing that they will be part of a recirculating and sustainable cycle. The remains of the dry material and liquid are transformed through the biogas plant into green energy. The subsequent remains are spread out on the grass fields where they once again will be a part of the recirculating cycle.

Behind the scenes of the first plant

Kristian Lundgaard-Karlshøj, owner of Ausumgaard, highlights the advantages of extracting protein from grass to organic agriculture and to sustainability.