Remember when we published a story just last month about Finnish scientists producing protein flour out of “thin air.” Well, they recently said publicly that they expect their protein to compete with soya on price within the decade.
To produce the protein flour, which they call Solein, the scientists first produce hydrogen by “splitting” water using electrolysis. The hydrogen, carbon dioxide from the air and extra minerals are fed to soil bacteria, which produces the protein as a result.
The key determinant for the price of this protein’s production is the cost of electricity since electrolysis is an energy-intensive process. Fortunately, energy prices are expected to decline as more renewables go online. If the electricity used for producing this protein, then the food can be grown with near-zero greenhouse gas emissions—potentially tackling one of the biggest problems associated with farming.
