EU-funded UNICO2RN project begins converting biogenic CO2 into proteins and bioplastics

The EU-funded research project UNICO2RN began in June 2025 to demonstrate how biogenic carbon dioxide (CO2) can be used as a raw material for producing proteins and bioplastics. The initiative brings together European research bodies and industrial partners to utilise CO2 streams generated from biological and bio-based industrial processes.

The UNICO2RN project focuses on CO2 originating from biomass processing, fermentation and organic waste treatment, where emissions occur as unavoidable by-products of industrial activity. As biogenic CO2 is part of the short-term carbon cycle, its utilisation does not introduce additional carbon into the atmosphere. The project therefore builds on existing bio-based infrastructures and supports the integration of CO2 use within established industrial value chains.

Captured biogenic CO2 is employed as a carbon source to produce microbial proteins for food and animal feed, along with polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHA), which are biopolymers used in biodegradable plastics and durable material applications. Through this approach, the project demonstrates how emissions from bio-based industries can be transformed into commercially relevant products.

UNICO2RN combines two technological pathways. Metal-organic framework (MOF)-based systems are applied to capture CO2 in high purity from biogenic point sources. The captured gas is subsequently converted through aerobic gas fermentation using hydrogen-oxidising bacteria, which convert CO2 and hydrogen into microbial biomass and biopolymers.

The overall process chain has been designed as a modular and adaptable system capable of handling CO2 streams with varying concentrations and purities. The project will validate the full chain at two industrial locations under near-commercial conditions at Technology Readiness Level 7, including CO2 capture, bioconversion and downstream processing. These demonstrations will confirm the production of microbial proteins suitable for food and feed uses, as well as PHA-based materials intended to replace conventional fossil-derived plastics.

In parallel with technical development, UNICO2RN includes safety, environmental and sustainability evaluations. Life cycle analysis, techno-economic assessment and social impact studies are being conducted to support safe system design, responsible scale-up and alignment with emerging European Union sustainability and certification frameworks for CO2-based products.

The consortium consists of ten partners from across Europe, representing both research institutions and industrial organisations. The project is coordinated by VITO and carried out by AERBIO (NL), CO2BioClean (DE), IDENER (ES), Lesaffre (FR), NIZO Food Research (NL), nova-Institute (DE), NUADA (UK), SABIO Biomaterials (IT) and Veolia (BE).

Additional project details are available at https://unico2rn.eu, where interested readers can also subscribe to the project newsletter for updates on activities and results.

The project is funded by the European Union under Grant Agreement No. 10121426. The views expressed are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the granting authority, which cannot be held responsible for them.