France: Plant Engineering Bühler to Build First Commercial Scale Insect Protein Plant for Agronutris

Agronutris’ mega insect protein plant will be built in Rethel, France and is expected to process up to 70,000 tons of organic residues and produce high-quality protein for the aquaculture and pet food markets annually. Bühler is responsible for engineering, procurement, manufacturing, supply, installation, commissioning of the project and has also been selected as its process solution provider.

Related Vendors

EDL Anlagenbau Gesellschaft mbH

Pörner Ingenieurgesellschaft mbH

ProMinent GmbH

Rethel/France – French insect producer Agronutris has chosen Bühler Group as its process solution provider for its first commercial scale black soldier fly plant. Bühler will deliver a full-scope solution for the facility, which will be built in Rethel, France. The plant is planned to go into operation in 2023.

The 16,000 square meter insect plant in Rethel, France, when operating at full capacity, will process up to 70,000 tons of organic residues and produce high-quality protein for the aquaculture and pet food markets every year. With the launch of this new site, Agronutris is entering its industrial deployment stage.

Bühler’s solutions for Agronutris will cover the entire supply chain. This includes feedstock preparation to provide safe, palatable, and nourishing feed to the larvae and a fully automated larvae growth system with sophisticated climate control. Bühler will also deliver the processing line to efficiently transform the grown larvae into protein meal and lipids with consistent quality, as well as the frass (excrement) handling system for a secure offtake of the rearing residues.

In addition, Bühler will be responsible for the entire automation and the timely project execution. The latter encompasses engineering, procurement, manufacturing, supply, installation, and commissioning.

PROCESS Insights 2020-05
Challenges for EPC Contractors

With an influx of largescale petrochemical construction projects, EPC Contractors will have to be confronted with challenges such as finding enough capacity and quality of construction manpower, delayed permits etc. which require an EPC strategy to stay competitive in this ever-growing market.

This 12-page Process Insight will discuss the current changes in the EPC business and the impact of these changes on EPC projects. Besides the effect of the Coronavirus as well as the current oil price crash on the contracting industry will also be analyzed and an outlook for the industry will be given.

To feed 10 billion people who are expected to live on our planet by 2050, about 250 million metric tons of additional protein will be necessary every year. This is an increase of 50 % compared to today. The industry must address this challenge with a more sustainable production of existing sources of protein as well as alternative sources for direct human and animal consumption. Edible insects can play a unique role in upcycling food waste streams to high-quality proteins, which makes them an increasingly important source of protein while being environmentally friendly.

The market of insect proteins as feed is expected to significantly grow in the next ten years. The total turnover of insect feed operators is expected to achieve 2.2 billion euros per year by the end of the decade. This growth will be led by two main sectors: the aquaculture sector, which will make up for 30 % of sales volumes of insect producers by 2030, and the petfood sector, which will account for 40 % of the insect protein sales volumes by 2030.

(ID:47899435)