Factory 01: Where the sun never sets on harvest season

While Finland’s fields lie dormant under winter snow, Solar Foods’ Factory 01 hums with life. Here, the harvest season never ends. Solein® – the world’s most sustainable protein – is produced every day, no matter the weather, the season, or the time of year.  

In traditional agriculture, harvests are fleeting moments of abundance, tied to specific times of year. In Finland, the harvest season peaks in August, with the name of the month ‘elokuu’ meaning harvest month.  But as the land rests through long, dark winters, Solar Foods’ Factory 01 offers a new kind of harvest, one unbound by the rhythms of nature.  

A protein untethered from soil and seasons 

Solein’s production begins with a microbe discovered in Finland’s wilderness, cultivated through an innovative fermentation process using just air, electricity, water, and minerals. The result – Solein® – is a versatile protein which can replace traditional proteins in virtually any food. Unlike crops that rely on fertile soil, predictable weather, and long growing periods, Solein is independent of these constraints. It’s an answer to humanity’s food production challenge: a steady, sustainable supply of protein year-round, rain, snow, or shine. Any country in the world can be a food producer, with harvests being possible anywhere – in deserts, bustling cities, or even space.  

The efficiency paradox: feeding more with less  

Modern agriculture has ushered in an era of abundance, but at a steep cost. The relentless pursuit of higher yields has strained the planet’s resources, leading to deforestation, soil depletion, and rising greenhouse gas emissions. Humanity must now produce more food in the next four decades than we have in the last 8,000 years of agriculture combined. Efforts to get more nutrition out of conventional crops, poultry and livestock also quickly lead to ethical questions about how we treat animals, concerns about the use of pesticides, and biological limits.   

Solein offers a radically more efficient alternative. The current target capacity at Factory 01 is 160 tons of Solein annually. This is equivalent to 5-8 million Solein-powered meals. We are aiming to increase the capacity to 230 tons annually during 2026. Factory 01’s bioreactor grows the same amount of Solein protein daily as a 300-cow dairy farm produces milk protein, or 50,000 hens provide through eggs – all without the environmental toll of traditional agriculture.  

The 70-hour miracle

At Factory 01, Solein is grown, harvested, and ready for use in approximately 70 hours. Compare this to the months-long timelines of traditional proteins or crops. 

Spring wheat, as the name implies, is sown in the spring and harvested in autumn. It requires 100-130 days (3-4 months) to grow. Winter wheat is sown in autumn, lives through the winter, and is then harvested in the summer. It needs a longer growing period of 180-250 days (6-8 months). Add to that the need for fields being left to fallow for as long as one year out of every two to rejuvenate the soil between crops and the cycle extends further.  

Animal protein production pales in comparison. On average, a young hen, also known as a pullet, will begin laying eggs at around five months of age and continue for 2–3 years. A single hen lays around 330 eggs a year equating to roughly 20 kilograms of edible egg protein. To maintain this level of production, a hen requires feed, water, and substantial space, not to mention the energy costs of heating, lighting, and managing large-scale poultry operations. Beyond the physical resources, there are additional inefficiencies: younger hens lay smaller pullet eggs, many of which are discarded due to their size, and older hens become less productive, leading to shortened lifespans and higher turnover in flocks. 

Taste without trade-offs  

In addition to being very efficient and sustainable to produce, Solein is delicious. Its mild umami flavour and delicate aroma make it versatile enough for any cuisine or product. Solein can taste like anything you use it for adapting effortlessly to soups, sauces, dairy and egg alternatives, baked goods, and more, enhancing dishes without overpowering them. This means sustainable dining no longer requires compromising on taste or tradition. 

It is also a highly nutritious ingredient: it contains all of the nine essential amino acids that are required by the human body, as well as iron and vitamin B12. It’s a complete protein source that fits seamlessly into modern diets, and it’s especially well-suited for different health & wellbeing products such as protein bars or protein drinks.  

The future of food, harvested daily

At Factory 01, every day is a harvest day. By disconnecting food production from the constraints of agriculture, we do not have to wait for the right season, the perfect weather, or even fertile soil. Even in the depths of a snowy winter, Solein can bring the flavours of a new springtime for the future of food.