Global potential of sustainable single-cell protein based on variable renewable electricity
Mahdi Fasihi, Fatemeh Jouzi, Petri Tervasmäki, Pasi Vainikka, Christian Breyer
Abstract
Abstract The environmental impacts of the food system exceed several planetary boundaries, with protein production being a major contributor. Single-Cell Protein (SCP) is a protein-rich microbial biomass that offers a sustainable alternative when derived from renewable energy and sustainable feedstocks. We evaluate the global potential for SCP production utilising electrolytic hydrogen and oxygen, atmospheric carbon dioxide and nitrogen, and hourly-optimised hybrid PV-wind power plants at a 0.45° × 0.45° spatial resolution. We outline a roadmap for industrial-scale production, commencing in 2028, targeting an annual capacity of 30 million tonnes of protein by 2050. Here we show that the cost of renewable electricity-based protein (e-protein) could decline at optimal sites from 5.5–6.1 € kg −1 in 2028 to 4.0–4.5 € kg −1 by 2030, and further to 2.1–2.3 € kg −1 by 2050. Consequently, e-protein production can mostly decouple protein supply from water and arable land constraints, substantially mitigating the environmental impacts of food production.