Revolutionary project to create food from CO2 gets green light for next stage

• Consortium consisting of Novo Nordisk Foundation, the Gates Foundation, Novonesis, Danish, and American universities and more has moved into second phase of development a project exploring ways to transform CO₂ into nutritious food.

• In this new stage, Topsoe and others will conduct life cycle assessments of possible food production routes, while testing to optimize and scale technologies and methods involved.

• Project funding, split evenly between The Gates Foundation and The Novo Nordisk Foundation, has been renewed for 2025-2027, providing up to DKK 162.2 million (€21.1 million).

Topsoe, a leading global provider of advanced technology and solutions for the energy transition, is part of a consortium funded by the Gates Foundation and the Novo Nordisk Foundation that aims to transform CO₂ into nutritious food. This revolutionary consortium, which was established in 2023, has progressed the project to its second development stage.

The consortium emerged on the heels of a severe hunger crisis globally. According to the UN-established World Food Program, more than 295 million people around the world experienced acute levels of hunger in 2024 – an increase of 13.7 million from 2023.[1] The technology developed under the consortium has the potential to produce protein alternatives to feed 1 billion people every year.

Poul Georg Moses, Chief Technology Officer, Power-to-X, at Topsoe, said:​
“This is a dire real-world problem we are attempting to solve for. That's why we’re proud to be an active partner and help move forward in this promising project, where science-based solutions can ultimately mean food for more people. In this next phase, we’re creating a solid evidence base for the technologies and concepts, paving the way for an up-coming demonstration of the project’s potential.”

Claus Felby, Vice President for Agri-Food at the Novo Nordisk Foundation, said:
“We need tangible solutions that can feed more people without putting pressure on our natural resources in the process. When the consortium began its work two years ago, making food derived from CO₂ seemed like something taken from a science fiction movie. Within the next two years, we can expect to see actual prototypes of food products that will be tested by consumers. The collaboration in the consortium is a good example of what we can achieve with biosolutions when researchers and companies combine their strengths and work towards a common goal.”

The consortium consists of universities and private companies and has been working with a radically new approach to food production that makes it possible to replace sugar in fermentation processes with CO₂-derived acetate (more commonly known as vinegar).

As part of the consortium, Topsoe is providing technical expertise and insights as well as its Solid Oxide Electrolyzer Cell (SOEC), and e-methanol loop technology. In the first phase of the project (beginning in 2023), Topsoe explored several process routes from CO₂ via SOEC to intermediates for acetate production and constructed pilots for larger scale validation of its electrolysis and methanol technologies.

The second phase of the project will focus on optimizing and scaling the technologies and methods as well as developing and testing food prototypes. In this stage, Topsoe will closely collaborate with Aarhus University in Denmark on an integrated validation process, making sure valuable lessons for a further demonstration phase is learned. Topsoe will also refine process routes through Life Cycle Assessments of possible routes conducted in collaboration with key partners in the consortium.

The acetate consortium: Partners and funding
Moving forward, the consortium will consist of the following partners:

• Copenhagen Process ApS

• Department of Biological and Chemical Engineering, Aarhus University

• Department of Food and Resource Economy, University of Copenhagen

• Department of Food Science, University of Copenhagen

• Northwestern University

• Novonesis A/S

• Orkla A/S

• Spora ApS

• The Novo Nordisk Foundation CO₂ Research Center (CORC)

• Topsoe

The total funding budget is up to DKK 162.2 million (€21.7 million) and covers a two-year period (2025-2027). The funding is split evenly between Gates Foundation and the Novo Nordisk Foundation.

      Phase 1 results

• Development of microbial strains that grow on 100% acetate and contain >40% protein

• Completion of pilot facilities at Aarhus University in Denmark for acetate feedstock

• Identification of key cost drivers: electricity and infrastructure                    

Topsoe’s electrolysis technology

Topsoe’s solid oxide electrolyzer cells (SOEC) technology is a modular design that operates at significantly higher temperatures compared to other electrolyzer technologies – a tested and proven process that enables industrial-scale production of green hydrogen using renewable electricity.

When coupled with waste heat from downstream production (from processes producing ammonia, methanol or steel production), Topsoe’s SOEC technology will produce more hydrogen per total power input when compared to conventional electrolyzer technologies. It further allows for the lowest levelized hydrogen cost per megawatt volume, no matter the industry.

The SOEC electrolyzers have proven their efficiency through a successful performance test at Topsoe’s SOEC demonstration plant in Frederikssund, Denmark. The test revealed exceptional efficiencies and reliability at an industrial scale.

Read more on Topsoe SOEC here.

Topsoe’s eMethanol technology
Topsoe has supplied methanol plants for decades. Topsoe’s eMethanol loop is a dynamic loop that consumes hydrogen directly as the electrolyzer produces it. This ability to adapt to fluctuations in hydrogen supply, and sustain production at low loads, reduces the risk of forced restarts and eliminates the need for costly hydrogen storage.

Read more on eMethanol here.

About Topsoe
Topsoe is a leading global provider of advanced technology and solutions for the energy transition.

Built on decades of scientific research and innovation, we are working with customers and partners to drive energy resiliency and to achieve their sustainability goals.

We offer world-leading solutions for transforming renewable resources into fuels and chemicals, and we provide technologies needed to produce low-carbon and conventional fuels and chemicals as well as ensuring clean air.

We were founded in 1940 and are headquartered in Denmark, with over 2,800 employees serving customers all around the globe. To learn more, visit  www.topsoe.com. 

[1] Global Report on Food Crises (GRFC) 2025

For more information, please contact: 

Media relations

Ulrik Frøhlke, Media Relations Manager
Phone: +45 27 77 99 68 
Mail: ulfr@topsoe.com