Dutch biotech company NoPalm Ingredients has partnered with contract research company NIZO Food Research to establish its first Demonstration Factory at the Food Innovation Campus in Ede.
NoPalm Ingredients produces alternatives to palm oil through a proprietary fermentation process that uses upcycled agrifood sidestreams. The company’s process steps were previously spread across several locations, but at the new facility, they will all take place under one roof. This will reportedly save time, reduce costs, and accelerate scaling.
The new contract marks NoPalm Ingredients’ transition from pilot to commercial-scale production. The factory will initially produce several hundred tons of fats per year, eventually expanding to more than 1,200 tons.
The site also provides space for testing new raw materials and process improvements. This will allow the company to guarantee reliable deliveries to raw material suppliers and buyers of oil products.
“Concrete milestone”
NIZO has been developing the Food Innovation Campus in Ede since 2023. The site aims to bring together leading companies working towards the protein and food transition to share knowledge and accelerate scaling.
By using NIZO’s existing infrastructure, NoPalm Ingredients will be able to begin construction of the facility more quickly and cost-effectively. Industrial production of oils is expected to begin in the second half of 2026, with further scaling expected in 2027 and 2028. 25 people will be employed at the factory, adding to the 25 employed at the company’s headquarters in Wageningen.
In July 2024, NoPalm Ingredients secured €5 million in seed funding in what was claimed to be the largest ever raise for an alternative to palm oil in Europe. In April of this year, the company introduced REVÓLEO™, a new brand focused on sustainable, fermentation-based oils and fats for food and beauty applications.
“The step towards our first factory is a concrete milestone in our ambition to become a leader in yeast oil production,” said CEO and founder Lars Langhout. “From a shaking flask and a microscope in the lab, we are now building our own factory: dreams are becoming reality. As pioneers, we are showing the industry that yeast oils no longer only exist in the lab, but can also be produced at large scale, and that we are a reliable partner for sustainable oil alternatives.”
