Aventura, Florida., June 29, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — BioPower Operations Corporation (OTC: BOPO), currently in process of changing its name to HYFI Corp. (“HyFi”), *subject to clearance by FINRA announces the execution of multiple agreements with PIP North America (“PIP”) to raise funds in a non-dilutive manner through HyFi’s new DeFi ILO marketplace technology platform and includes undisclosed technology licensing options for HyFi’s Vault and DeFi marketplaces and stock and token purchases. Focused initially on raising funds for PIP’s large scale yellow pea wet fractionation processing facility, PIP will have conditional exclusive rights and renewal options to the agriculture sector.

During the term of the Agreement, PIP will work closely with HyFi’s team to fully execute and maximize global funding channels to meet PIP’s accelerated growth plans. PIP’s large-scale production will commence in late 2023 to fulfil the growing demand for pea protein isolate and derivative products.

A company that says it has licensed “a groundbreaking technological breakthrough in plant proteins” has been given $1 million in government funding towards a $20-million pea-processing pilot facility in Lethbridge.

And PIP International said it plans to start construction on a $150-million processing facility towards the end of the year.

In a release, the company said it had worked with a French company to develop an extraction technology that produces superior plant proteins.

“The innovative technology has finally cracked the code on pea protein’s poor taste, colour, texture and compromised performance,” the release stated.

In Lethbridge, Alberta, Canadian-based agri-food company PIP International is celebrating the opening of a new, nearly $16 million pea-processing pilot facility. Previously a mid-sized craft brewery, the facility, which was converted into a fully commercialized pea-processing and testing center. In partnership with the Canadian government, Alberta awarded PIP $789,975 through the Canadian Agricultural Partnership to support engineering and the purchase of processing equipment for the pilot facility. “PIP appreciates ongoing government support that encourages further investment and growth in the agri-food industry,” said Christine Lewington, chief executive officer, PIP International. “These funds were key to meeting fall 2022 protein isolate deliveries demanded by several plant-based multinational companies. Our pilot plant ensures the market will be ready and primed for the large production volumes of our UP.P™ protein isolate in 2023.” As part of a two-phase project, the pilot facility is the first step in testing PIP’s new innovative extraction technology that will significantly improve the quality, purity and environmental impact of the protein isolates before scaling up production. The first phase of the project received funding through the Emerging Opportunities program under the Canadian Agricultural Partnership, which supports strategic initiatives that contribute to significant sector growth and job creation in Alberta. Phase 2 will establish a new $119 million yellow pea protein facility in the heart of Canada’s premier food corridor in Lethbridge. Construction of the facility will begin in late 2022. Once operational, the facility will create 100 new jobs, process about 126,000 tonnes of yellow peas annually and support more than $59 million in annual pea contracts for local and regional growers. “With demand for plant-based foods increasing globally, investing in PIP’s pilot facility is part of a larger strategy to grow and diversify Alberta’s emerging agri-food sector,” said Nate Horner, Alberta Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Rural Economic Development. “PIP’s new pilot facility is a stepping stone to a larger investment that will create new jobs and help grow Alberta’s budding plant protein sector.”

PIP International, a Canadian-based agrifood company, announced its new $20-million pea-processing pilot facility has opened. “With Prairie farmers producing such a large percentage of Canada’s pulse crop, the opportunities to process these crops and create new, higher-value products closer to home are enormous,” said Marie-Claude Bibeau, federal minister of agriculture and agri-food, in a release. “The Government of Canada’s investment in this innovative pilot facility will redefine plant-based protein for the region, support our economy and continue to position Canada as a global leader in sustainable production.” In partnership with the federal government, Alberta provided PIP $1 million through the Canadian Agricultural Partnership to support engineering and the purchase of processing equipment for the pilot facility. The project required a mid-sized craft brewery to be converted into a fully commercialized pea processing and testing centre. The pilot facility is the first step in a two-phase project. The facility will assist the company in testing its new extraction technology that aims to improve the quality, purity and environmental impact of the protein isolates before scaling up production. The first phase of the project received funding through the Emerging Opportunities program under the Canadian Agricultural Partnership, which supports strategic initiatives that contribute to significant sector growth and job creation in Alberta. Phase 2 will create a new $150-million yellow pea protein facility in Lethbridge. Construction of the facility will begin in late 2022. Once operational, the facility will process roughly 126,000 tonnes of yellow peas annually and support more than $75 million in annual pea contracts for local and regional growers.

LETHBRIDGE, AB – PIP International Inc. (PIP), an Alberta agricultural-tech plant-based processor, opened its yellow pea wet fractionation pilot facility and commercial testing centre on May 30, 2022.

Christine Lewington, CEO of PIP says her team will start small and build up the business over time. “With our tenacity and determination, and with a lot of their patience towards me, we will build the most significant sustainable technology. Advanced, low cost, and best tasting pea protein the industry has ever seen,” says Lewington.

Lewington said that a large amount of their yellow peas will be coming from Alberta and Saskatchewan.

The yellow peas will then be processed and turned into four products, which will be pea protein of a premium and regular grade. The other two will be a combination of starch and fiber, and molasses.

“Our starch and fiber will be combined and they will make plant-based products,” said Lewington, explaining that plant-based packaging will be done right at the facility.

“Nothing leaves the facility until it’s fully processed. So, those four products coming out will round out our entire process.”

Nate Horner, Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Rural Economic Development said in a media release that there is an increasing global demand for plant-based foods.

“Investing in PIP’s pilot facility is part of a larger strategy to grow and diversify Alberta’s emerging agri-food sector,” said Horner. “PIP’s new pilot facility is a stepping stone to a larger investment that will create new jobs and help grow Alberta’s budding plant protein sector.”

However, Lewington says, “plant-based proteins are not making a huge dent” because they don’t taste very good.

In 2020, Lewington signed a master license agreement to use technology to create the best and “greatest tasting” pea protein in the world.

According to a media release from PIP International, their “gentler and patented process delivers an additive-free, neutral taste, neutral colour, smooth texture, high functioning protein derived from yellow peas.”

Lewington also added that site selection is critical for starting a business and Lethbridge offered an advantage over other areas.

“The one thing the City of Lethbridge has done is they have invested before business came,” said Lewington.

“I can buy 20 acres of heavy industrial land in Lethbridge ready to go, versus other areas where they now have to zone it. They have to then do all the engineering and do the services to it. The City of Lethbridge has pre-invested years ago to make that a very, very good advantage to someone like us.”

Lethbridge Mayor Blaine Hyggen says the city is committed to reducing red tape to encourage more businesses.

“You’ll have businesses that want to set up and start operating within our community,” says Hyggen, “And sometimes it’s not the easiest, all the different processes, the licensing, the zoning, etc. So, we’re really trying to streamline that to be able to bring those businesses and truly be open for business.”

The Government of Alberta, in partnership with the federal government, also awarded PIP $1 million in grant funding over two years through the Canadian Agricultural Partnership, according to Rajan Sawhney, Alberta’s Minister of Transportation.

“This will support engineering and equipment purchases for PIP International as they build and invest here in Lethbridge,” said Sawhney. “This assistance enables PIP to pursue the commercialization of new extraction technology that will significantly improve the quality, the purity and environmental impact of their plant-based products.”

“Support like this helps us tap [into] the potential of Alberta-based companies like PIP and help spur innovation and growth,” said Sawhney, stating that PIP’s multiphase investment plan will generate economic opportunities, jobs, as well as attract both national and international investment.

“I know this to be true because I’ve had many queries over the last two weeks about this project,” adds Sawhney.

The pilot plant, the former site of Coulee Brewing Co. in Lethbridge, will create approximately 17 to 25 full-time jobs.

PIP will also build a $150-million yellow pea protein facility, which will begin later this year. The larger facility will create up to 100 full-time jobs.

In partnership with the federal government, Alberta’s government awarded PIP $1 million through the Canadian Agricultural Partnership to support engineering and the purchase of processing equipment for the pilot facility.

The facility, which was previously a mid-sized craft brewery, was converted into a fully commercialized pea processing and testing centre.

As part of a two-phase project, the pilot facility is the first step in testing PIP’s new innovative extraction technology that will significantly improve the quality, purity and environmental impact of the protein isolates before scaling up production.

A new breakthrough in plant-based proteins is coming to southern Alberta.

Lethbridge ag-tech plant-based processor, PIP International (PIP), announced a new technology involving plant proteins on May 10.
The technology has “cracked the code” on pea protein’s taste, colour, texture and performance according to founder and CEO of PIP International Christine Lewington.

“There’s a lot of peas around in southern Alberta and in the region. But why are more people not using pea protein? And it’s because of the bitter taste. And so, my partners and I went out in late 2019 and discovered a new technology in France,” said Lewington.

Lewington said the process separates out the proteins without damaging their properties.

“Almost all processes out there now focus on the starch and fibre as the main [product], and then they pull the protein out. We focus on the protein and make sure it’s taken care of first,” said Lewington. 

“We take the starch and fibre out similarly, but we focus on making sure the proteins are taken care of.”
PIP worked with the company IMPROVE SAS for over two years to commercialize the technology, said CEO of IMPROVE SAS Denis Chereau.

“PIP owns an Exclusive Master License Agreement for IMPROVE’s innovative, patent pending, sustainable extraction technology that will bring the cleanest tasting, highest functioning, most sustainable pea protein to the market,” said Chereau.

The agreement was signed in 2020, with the process design being finalized in 2021 according to Lewington. The new protein is called the “Ultimate Pea Protein” or UP.P for short.

“We were looking around saying we’re going to up everybody’s standards, we’re going to up consumers expectations… And we kept saying ‘up’ and one of our team members said we should call it that,” said Lewington.

The naming of the protein was simple compared to the development of the technology and the resistance from old ways of thinking about the process, explained Lewington.
“I had several engineering firms and vendors saying what I’m asking them to do can’t be done because it’s never been done before, and it can be done and we are doing it,” added Lewington.

She explained how important this was going to be for southern Alberta as Lewington said agricultural processing hasn’t seen a technology like this “for decades” and they will buy directly from farmers, improving the status of peas as a crop.

“They’re not a cash crop because they might break even on them. They sell them for pig feed, but we are going to be able to give them contracts like canola gets contracts… we now have a cash crop for farmers that they can rotate in because peas fix the soil. They put nitrogen back into the soil,” said Lewington.

That positive environmental impact is important to PIP, according to Lewington, who said they have reduced water use by 30 per cent in the protein extraction process, among other things.

“On top of that, we are building a solar farm and we have a thermal battery that we’re going to be able to use for energy storage we have several green initiatives that we’re implementing that the industry hasn’t used before, all the way to the point where we’re taking some really neat technology and putting it on our glass so that it corrects the HVAC, so our building loads aren’t going to be as heavy,” said Lewington.

She said there is significant interest from food manufacturers in developing new products from UP.P with samples of the protein. Lewington said the plant-based protein industry is expected to reach over $14 billion (USD) in the next few years.

When asked what products she is most looking forward to seeing developed from UP.P, Lewington said that she wants to see a “great-tasting plant-based ice cream” along with plant-based milk.
“Any of the plant-based milks in the industry right now are what they call an indulgent. They’re more like sugar water because they don’t have a nutritional profile of cow milk. But if they add our pea protein to it, the nutritional profile will actually be greater than that of dairy,” said Lewington.

Lewington said that PIP is excited to introduce their new pea protein, as they “saw what others have seen, but we are now doing what others have never done.”

Canadian Ag-tech plant-based processor, PIP International (PIP), announced today a groundbreaking technological breakthrough in plant proteins.  The innovative technology has finally cracked the code on pea protein’s poor taste, colour, texture and compromised performance, driving “UP” industry standards and the potential to shift consumers’ enjoyment of plant-based foods.  UP.P™ or ‘Ultimate Pea Protein’ offers what no other pea protein can, a demonstrable visual appeal and superior functionality while providing a level of affordability that is attracting global attention from leading food manufacturers.

In 2020, PIP International, a privately owned Canadian-controlled corporation, secured an exclusive master license agreement for the rights to use and sub-license a transformative “coercion” technology. By using a targeted reaction, under strict parameters, the process quickly but gently separates or “coerces” out the proteins without damaging their functional properties. In addition, PIP demonstrates evidence of their commitment to the environment by harnessing alternate industry technologies to significantly reduce water, generate and store abundant green power, eliminate waste, and drastically drop the natural gas demands.

EnWave Corporation (TSX-V:ENW | FSE:E4U) (“EnWave”, or the “Company”) announced today that it has signed a Technology Evaluation and License Option Agreement (the “Agreement”) with Protein Isolate Plant International Inc. (“PiP International”) to evaluate the potential commercial use of the Company’s Radiant Energy Vacuum (“REV™”) dehydration technology in their high-volume pea isolate protein manufacturing process. During the limited evaluation term, PiP International has exclusive rights to evaluate the Company’s patented REV™ drying technology for pea protein isolate and derivative products globally.

During the term of the Agreement, PiP International will lease a 10kW REV™ machine for intensive product development at its processing facility in Lethbridge, Alberta. If commercially viable pea protein isolate applications are developed under the Agreement, PiP International will look to purchase large-scale REV™ machinery to commence commercial production to fulfil the growing demand for pea protein isolate and derivative products.