It is called a bio refinery and behind the initiative are among others the Natural Resources Administration, Chalmers, SLU and AgroVäst. The biorefinery divides the grass plants into a solid cow feed and a pressurized liquid that can be fed to pigs. But the pressurized liquid can be further processed into a protein paste that can be eaten by other animals - including us humans.

- Within five years we can be there. It mostly depends on how we manage to get it good enough, says Andrea von Essen.

New process

Whey plants are normally harvested as fodder for cows. But the new process can, for example, replace the South American soy in pig feed. The pressurized liquid can also be processed into bioenergy.

- This means that we can have a highly concentrated protein feed locally, instead of importing.

So far, it is the first part of the bio refinery that is complete. The first crop of horticultural plants has been run through the refinery and divided into a press cake that becomes cow food and a press liquid that becomes piggy. But as the biorefinery is now being expanded, the pressurized fluid will be able to be further refined. Partly to a protein paste and partly to a residual liquid from which biogas can be extracted.

In the video above you can see how the bio refinery works.

This sketch by SVT's graphic designer Truls Wallin shows how the bio refinery in Töreboda works. Check out what it looks like in the video above! Photo: Graphic: Truls Wallin