Insect Technology: Protein from Organic Waste
In this complex environment, we strive to implement new ideas, research & development programs, and engineering activities.
The insect technology waste processing plant represents the world’s first biotech technology that re-uses every type of organic waste completely: waste is first used as a nutrient solution for insect larvae; the larvae then serve as valuable providers of protein for animal breeding/ animal feed. This innovative and simultaneously sustainable environmental technology has been recognised as a pioneering “waste-to-nutrient” achievement, earning both the BBC Food Chain Global Champion title and the Clean Equity Award in 2017.
Protein Feed as a Replacement for Fishmeal
The basic idea behind this technique is both innovative and sustainable: organic waste, millions of tonnes of which would otherwise be incinerated, is used to produce a culture medium for larvae. These larvae are then further processed to produce high-grade protein feed for fish and chicken farming. The result is a positive effect for the natural environment on multiple levels: not only does the insect-based technology ensure the sustainable disposal of organic waste; it also helps to protect fish populations across the globe, by replacing fishmeal, which is widely used in animal feed.
Pioneering Technology
Christof Industries’ technicians and engineers face some particular challenges in the development of a complete plant. The goal is nothing less than the development of automated techniques along the entire length of a biological process chain – from the preparation and purification of the culture medium obtained from organic waste, the breeding, and harvesting of larvae, through to the production of protein-rich animal feed. This is a completely new field of applications for nutrient recycling, where there are no ready-made solutions.
Innovation and Creativity to Achieve Sustainable Solutions
Our customers value the creativity that Christof Industries’ engineers demonstrate in the development of industrial plants just as much as they value our decades of experience in the fields of waste recovery and upcycling. The end result will be a fully automated plant with reliable, high-quality output, supported by intelligent monitoring technology and processes that take their cue from nature. At a plant in Cape Town, South Africa, billions of flies are already hard at work, converting 250 tonnes of organic waste into protein-rich animal feed and other environmentally friendly by-products each and every day.
Technology and Environment the Basis for Successful Industrial Realisation
We are proud of the innovative plant design that we developed, not just because of its technology. We are particularly pleased that our company has, in this way, been able to contribute an important element to the solution of one of the most pressing environmental problems that our planet is facing. Christof Industries is currently working on dozens of new projects implementing insect-based technologies.
