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Single Cell Protein Production From Ethanol: Model-Based Bioreactor Operation at Industrial Scale.

Eduardo Almeida Benalcázar1, Wouter A van Winden2, Lars Puiman1

  • 1Department of Biotechnology, Delft University of Technology, Delft, the Netherlands.

Biotechnology and Bioengineering
|March 22, 2025
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Industrial fermentation of ethanol using pure oxygen can produce 58 kilotons/year of single-cell protein (SCP). High oxygen transfer rates are feasible, but unconsumed oxygen and heat production are key challenges for scaling up SCP production.

Keywords:
O2 transferbioreactor modelingcharacteristic timesheat transfersingle cell proteintechnical feasibility

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Area of Science:

  • Biotechnology
  • Biochemical Engineering
  • Industrial Microbiology

Background:

  • Ethanol, a fermentation feedstock, can be synthesized from CO2 via electrocatalysis, coproducing oxygen.
  • Single Cell Protein (SCP) production offers a sustainable protein source.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To assess the industrial-scale feasibility of ethanol fermentation for SCP production using pure oxygen.
  • To model microbial kinetics, gas-liquid transfer, and operational constraints.

Main Methods:

  • A modeling approach was employed to simulate a 600 m³ bubble column fermenter operating in continuous mode.
  • Key factors analyzed include microbial kinetics, oxygen transfer rates, and dissolved CO2 concentrations.
  • Potential operational constraints and heat production were evaluated.

Main Results:

  • Technical feasibility for producing up to 58 kt/y of SCP was demonstrated, primarily due to a high oxygen transfer rate (1.1 mol/(kg h)).
  • A microbial biomass concentration of 114 g/kg and an ethanol yield of 0.61 gx/gethanol (>95%) were estimated.
  • Significant amounts of unconsumed oxygen, high dissolved CO2, and substantial heat production were identified as potential limitations.

Conclusions:

  • The high oxygen transfer capacity for SCP production appears technically feasible but requires experimental validation.
  • The developed model can analyze alternative substrates and optimize carbon feedstock selection for SCP production.