Hitachi Zosen, a major Japanese engineering firm, will begin selling synthetic protein to artificial meat producers as soon as 2025 using a method that has cut production costs by 90%.

The synthetic meat protein will be produced using a process developed by NUProtein, a Tokushima city-based startup. Hitachi Zosen also streamlined a step in the manufacturing process to further reduce costs.

The lab-grown meat is either made from plant sources, like soybeans, or grown from animal cells. However, NUProtein combines wheat germ with mRNA derived from animal DNA to produce the protein.

To render the wheat germ ready to be grown into artificial meat, it needs to be mixed in a special solution to produce an extract with a precise amalgamation of ingredients. Hitachi Zosen has previous experience manufacturing machines capable of measuring and adding components in exact amounts for making seasonings and drinks. Drawing from that expertise, Hitachi Zosen automated the solution-making process for the wheat germ.

According to McKinsey & Co., the synthetic meat market is predicted to grow to $25 billion in 2030. Sandwiches made from lab-grown chicken meat sell for nearly $13 in Singapore, a country where cultured meat is prevalent.

Debuting in 2013, the first lab-grown meat was a hamburger patty that took two years to produce and cost over $300,000. Nowadays, cultured patties can be produced at a cost of several hundred dollars, nonetheless they are still too expensive for normal households. NUProtein and Hitachi Zosen’s process could potentially bring the cost per hamburger patty to the low double digits.