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

Agriculture is preoccupied with sustainable production, and that is 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 A/S have developed a plant that can extract protein from grass and thus offering Danish pig and poultry producers a climate-friendly alternative to the soy protein that is currently imported from South America and Asia.

The plant will be the first of its kind in Denmark and 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 the optimization of all processes related to the treatment of grass, extraction of the protein, and the utilization 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 biogas production.

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

Harvest
Harvest of the grass
Carving
Carving and pressing of the grass. The processed grass is used as feed for the cattle
Compression
Compression of the grass
Green juice
The juice is either undergoing a fermentation or heat treatment
Refining
Refining the grass
Centrifugation
Centrifugation of the treated green juice. The remaining juice, brown juice, is used for biogas production, the field, or further treatment
Protein pasta
Drying
Drying the protein pasta
Protein powder
Feed
The protein powder is intermixed with the feed, which is primarily useful for pigs and poultry

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 utilization of the areas. The advantages include:

  • Minimizing 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
Grass field

How grass contributes to the production of organic biogas

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

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 organic grass protein production, 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 will be a part of the recirculating cycle.

Behind the scenes of the first plant

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