Good news has arrived from South America – Henan Huatai Intelligent Equipment Group has successfully designed and commissioned a 20TPD palm oil refining production line for a Peruvian oil company, with the project achieving flawless delivery.

The Republic of Peru, located on the western coast of South America, boasts abundant agricultural resources and growing demand for vegetable oil processing. As one of the most widely produced and consumed vegetable oils globally, palm oil is extensively used in Peru’s food processing, cooking oil, and biodiesel sectors. The successful completion of this project not only represents another significant achievement for Huatai Group in the South American market but also injects new vitality into Peru’s local palm oil deep-processing industry.

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I. Project Overview

• Project Name: 20TPD Crude Palm Oil Refinery
• Processing Capacity: 20 tons per day crude palm oil refining line
• Location: Republic of Peru
• Refining Process: Chemical refining (hydration degumming, acid-alkali neutralization, bleaching, steam deodorization)
• Project Features: Simple operation and maintenance, low investment cost

From contract signing to equipment manufacturing, shipping, installation, and commissioning, the Huatai team managed the entire process. The project achieved successful first-run commissioning, with excellent oil quality, low consumption indicators, and high customer satisfaction.

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II. Choosing the Palm Oil Refining Process

After pressing or extraction, crude palm oil (CPO) contains impurities such as free fatty acids, phospholipids, pigments, and odorous substances. It must undergo refining to become qualified edible oil.

Based on the processing characteristics and raw material quality of palm oil, palm oil refining is mainly divided into two processes: chemical refining and physical refining.

Chemical Refining (Alkali Refining)

Chemical refining uses alkali neutralization to remove most free fatty acids by forming soaps, hence the name alkali refining. In this process, alkali solution (such as sodium hydroxide) is added to saponify free fatty acids, and the resulting soapstock is removed by centrifugal separation. Chemical refining is suitable for crude oils with moderate acid values and high gum content, offering the advantages of flexible operation and strong adaptability.

Physical Refining (Steam Distillation)

Physical refining removes free fatty acids directly through steam distillation of palm oil under high-temperature vacuum conditions. The physical refining process offers several advantages: increased production capacity and refining yield, reduced production costs, shorter processing times, and the ability to directly distill high-purity fatty acids for recovery. Additionally, physical refining reduces wastewater and exhaust emissions.

In recent years, with continuous improvements in physical refining processes and equipment, its advantages have become increasingly prominent. Today, the vast majority of palm oil refineries in Malaysia adopt physical refining.

Process Selection for This Project

Considering the actual needs and investment budget of the Peruvian client, the chemical refining process was selected for this 20TPD project. This solution offers simple operation and maintenance with low investment cost, making it highly suitable for small-to-medium-scale palm oil refineries.

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III. Detailed Chemical Refining Process Flow

The chemical refining line for this project covers the following core sections:

1. Hydration Degumming

Crude palm oil first enters the degumming section, where hot water or dilute phosphoric acid is added to hydrate and swell phospholipids and other gum impurities, which are then removed by centrifugal separation. Degumming is the first refining step, effectively removing phospholipids and other impurities to create favorable conditions for subsequent sections.

2. Acid-Alkali Neutralization (Alkali Refining Deacidification)

After degumming, the oil enters the alkali refining section, where alkali solution (sodium hydroxide) is added to neutralize free fatty acids. The resulting soapstock is removed by centrifugal separation. Alkali refining is the core step of chemical refining, effectively reducing acid value and improving oil stability and taste.

3. Bleaching

After neutralization, the oil enters the bleaching section under vacuum, where adsorbents such as activated bleaching clay are added to remove pigments, residual soapstock, and metal ions. After bleaching, the oil color becomes significantly lighter, and transparency improves markedly.

4. Steam Deodorization

After bleaching, the oil undergoes steam deodorization under high-temperature, high-vacuum conditions to remove volatile odorous compounds such as aldehydes and ketones. Deodorization is the final refining step. After deodorization, the palm oil has a pure flavor and stable quality, suitable for direct use as finished edible oil.

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IV. Project Highlights and Huatai Advantages

Simple Operation and Maintenance

The complete palm oil refining equipment is designed with user-friendly operation in mind. Customer operators can become proficient after short-term training. Daily equipment maintenance is straightforward, reducing operating costs and manpower requirements.

Low Investment Cost

Huatai provided a cost-effective equipment solution tailored to the needs of small-to-medium-scale palm oil refineries. While ensuring refining performance and oil quality, the solution effectively controlled equipment investment and installation costs, enabling the client to quickly start production with a relatively low initial investment.

Successful First-Run Commissioning

After project delivery, Huatai’s engineering team traveled to Peru to oversee on-site installation and commissioning. The entire production line achieved successful first-run commissioning, producing refined palm oil of excellent quality with consumption indicators below industry averages, earning high praise from the client.

Comprehensive Turnkey Services

From initial site assessment and plant layout design to equipment manufacturing, shipping, installation, commissioning, and technical training, Huatai provides full-process turnkey engineering services. Clients only need to provide the site and capital to receive a fully operational palm oil processing equipment system.

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V. Huatai’s Continued Presence in the South American Market

The Peru 20TPD palm oil refining project represents another successful case for Huatai Group in the South American market. To date, Huatai Group has established a comprehensive sales and service network in more than 70 countries and regions worldwide.

In South America, Huatai has successfully executed multiple oil processing projects, including a 50TPD cottonseed oil and palm oil refining project, a 150TPD soybean oil/palm oil/sunflower oil refining project, a 50TPD palm oil deacidification and deodorization project, and a palm oil fractionation project.

The successful delivery of these projects fully demonstrates the technical maturity and international competitiveness of Huatai’s palm oil refining lines, while also establishing a solid brand presence for Chinese oil equipment manufacturers in the South American market.

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The successful operation of the Peru 20TPD palm oil refinery once again validates Huatai Group’s technical strength and project execution capabilities in the palm oil refining equipment sector. Whether building a new small-scale palm oil mill or expanding an existing facility, Huatai can provide customized turnkey engineering services covering everything from site assessment and plant layout design to equipment manufacturing, installation, and technical training.

If you are planning a palm oil refining project, please contact Huatai Group for a customized project solution and quotation.