• Drees & Sommer confirms the Leuna plant is technically and economically feasible, and now leads project management and general planning through the design phase
• Facility on track for 15,000 tonnes annual capacity across roughly 5,800 square meters
• Mid double-digit million EUR investment and around 25 new jobs remain on schedule
• Production plant designed first to GMP+ feed standards, with a food-grade extension already planned
• Production start targeted for the first half of 2028

Hamburg, 21 July 2026 – MicroHarvest, the German biotech scale-up producing protein ingredients through biomass fermentation of regional agri-food side streams, today confirmed that Drees & Sommer SE has completed the technical and economic feasibility study for its planned production plant at Industriepark Leuna (Saxony-Anhalt) and is now steering project management and general planning through the design phase. The facility remains on track for an annual capacity of 15,000 tonnes, a mid double-digit million EUR investment, and around 25 new jobs at the site, with production targeted to start in the first half of 2028.

Europe still can’t feed itself or its livestock on protein it produces domestically, and depends on imports for the majority of demand, including soy, of which the EU grows only about 8 percent. MicroHarvest’s Leuna facility is designed to be the first plant in Europe producing high-quality protein at industrial scale.

“Whoever ties their protein supply to Argentina, Brazil or the US has little room to maneuver when ports are blocked, harvests fail, or export tariffs are imposed. Leuna gives us the chance to become independent and resilient. That’s the opportunity in front of us right now,” said Jonathan Roberz, Co-Founder and COO of MicroHarvest.

Precise planning for a complex industrial build

Drees & Sommer’s feasibility study assessed the framework conditions for the Leuna build, from regulatory requirements to potential risks, and the project team evaluated different planning scenarios for cost efficiency and optimization potential. With production targeted for the first half of 2028, the timeline is tight for the scope involved.

“We’re planning areas for raw material reception, storage and preparation, alongside a plant for drying, filling and packaging the protein, and systems that support the fermentation process. Offices, laboratories, technical building equipment and outdoor facilities round out the plan,” said Manuel Paulick, Project Lead at Drees & Sommer. The team is designing the plant first for GMP+ certification in the feed sector, with an extension to food standard planned for later.

Drees & Sommer is co-developing the manufacturing process for the first-of-its-kind facility together with MicroHarvest and additional specialist firms, currently leading the preliminary design and design planning phases for the building and parts of the future fermentation process. “We’re aligning numerous specialist disciplines, suppliers, client decisions and approvals precisely from the outset, while keeping a close eye on cost,” said Steffen Butz, Lead Process Engineer at Drees & Sommer.

24 hours from feedstock to protein

MicroHarvest ferments microorganisms that have safely made food for millennia, the same principle behind turning milk into yogurt or cabbage into sauerkraut, using agri-food side streams like molasses, a byproduct of sugar production available in volume in the Leuna region. Fermentation happens in closed steel tanks: microorganisms take up the molasses and convert it into protein. The dried biomass reaches over 60 percent raw protein, plus amino acids, vitamins and minerals. The full process, from raw material to finished protein powder, takes about 24 hours, with no genetic engineering and no dependence on weather or season.

MicroHarvest proved the process at pilot scale first, opening a facility in Lisbon in November 2023 that initially produced 25 kilograms of protein per day on around 200 square meters, providing the first concrete evidence of scalability. Those learnings now feed directly into the Leuna design.

From animal feed to a food-grade ingredient

MicroHarvest is bringing its protein to market first in animal feed, particularly pet food and aquaculture, with products already live: dog treats developed with VEGDOG and THE PACK. Once EFSA approval is secured under the Novel Food process, the protein is intended to reach the human food market as well, for example as an ingredient in meatballs or protein bars.