One of the world’s largest producers of natural gas is hoping to turn some of it into future-friendly protein for humans and animals. The Saudi Industrial Investment Group (SIIG), partly owned by the Saudi government, has entered into a joint venture with Danish biotech firm Unibio to build a fermentation facility to turn gases into sustainable proteins.

Located in Al Jubail, this factory will use a dry gas feedstock allocation from the Saudi Ministry of Energy to produce 50,000 tonnes of single-cell protein annually, with plans to increase this to 300,000 tonnes in the coming years.

It will comfortably make this the world’s largest gas protein facility. The project is expected to cost 1.4 billion reals ($373M), with financing sourced through SIIG’s internal capital, commercial loans, and government funding

Construction is set to begin in the second half of 2026 and be completed by mid-2027, with SIIG maintaining an 80% stake and Unibio 20%. The two companies aim to kick off commercial production in the first half of 2026.

Unibio uses advanced fermentation to convert biogas and other carbon-rich inputs into planet-friendly proteins, with a process that eschews the need for arable land, significantly reduces water use, and can be scaled in extreme environments.

“Using Unibio’s technology, we aim to make Saudi Arabia the leader in single-cell protein production and improve food security for both Saudi Arabia and the world’s growing population,” - SIIG CEO Abdulrahman Alismail

The project has received “strong support” from several Saudi government entities. As part of its Vision 2030, the country is looking to reduce its reliance on oil and diversify its economy to enable sustainable growth and global competitiveness.

Read the full story at Green Queen