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Pow.Bio has scaled its continuous biomanufacturing platform to 3,000 litres at ATV Technologies’ facility in Compiègne, France, marking a major milestone in the industrial validation of its technology.
The project, conducted in partnership with Bühler Group and ATV Technologies, demonstrated that Pow.Bio’s continuous fermentation process can deliver three times higher protein productivity compared to conventional fed-batch methods, while significantly reducing production costs.
According to the company, the trials also confirmed over 50% reductions in projected costs of goods sold and showcased how machine learning (ML) and model predictive control can optimise process performance in real time.
Pow.Bio’s system uses advanced ML algorithms to replace manual process adjustments with data-driven control, allowing facilities to adapt rapidly to operational changes.
ATV’s technical capabilities and Bühler’s process engineering expertise supported the adaptation of existing infrastructure to accommodate continuous operation. Bühler conducted a pre-qualification of the Compiègne site and facilitated technology transfer from Pow.Bio, helping accelerate the start of trials.
Shannon Hall, CEO and co-founder of Pow.Bio, said: "ATV has been a reliable partner with a highly skilled team who have helped bring our technology to life at a larger scale. This collaboration proves that our continuous fermentation platform delivers reliably at scales that matter with unmatched economic viability. What excites me the most is that our customers can now."
Karima Zitouni, general manager at ATV Technologies, commented: "Working with Pow.Bio challenged us to rethink what's possible in fermentation. By combining continuous processing with intelligent ML optimisation, we achieved results that far exceeded our expectations. We’re proud to help prove this technology’s potential to scale and reshape the industry."
Thierry Duvanel, director of innovation at Bühler Group, added: "We've demonstrated that today's biomanufacturing lines can be made truly data-driven and self-optimising – delivering higher yields, greater stability and consistent performance at scale -by implementing predictive, continuous fermentation at ATV, using Pow.Bio’s technology".
"Importantly, the method can be quickly implemented throughout the current infrastructure by being retrofitted into existing plants. This is a significant step toward dependable continuous operation at larger scales, particularly in the demanding markets of food, feed and ingredient biomanufacturing."
Pow.Bio said further industrial-scale projects are planned as it continues to expand its partnerships to deploy its continuous biomanufacturing platform globally.
