When planning a small palm oil refinery, equipment price is only one part of the investment decision.
Before requesting a quotation, buyers should also understand the electrical requirement, building space, manufacturing schedule and site preparation needed for installation.
For a reference 1 TPD small palm oil refinery, the main planning figures are approximately 26.05 kW installed power, a 15 m × 6 m × 6 m building, about 90 working days for manufacturing and pre-assembly, and around 60 days for on-site installation.
These figures provide a starting point for project planning. The final configuration should be confirmed according to the actual crude oil, daily processing volume, site conditions, utilities and target products.
1. How much power does a 1 TPD palm oil refinery need?
A reference 1 TPD palm oil refinery has an installed load of about 26.05 kW.
The figure covers the main electrical equipment, including:
- Vacuum system
- Air compressor
- Hot-oil circulation pumps
- Kettle agitators
- Feed and product pumps
- Control and instrumentation
The installed load should not be confused with actual operating consumption. Not every motor operates at full load at the same time, so actual electricity consumption during operation is lower.
If an optional 500 kg/h oil expeller with integrated filter press is added, approximately 18.5 kW of additional installed power is required.
2. Electric heating or thermal-oil heating?
A 1 TPD small palm oil refinery can use two heating methods: electric heating or thermal-oil heating.
Electric heating can be straightforward for a site with a stable three-phase power supply.
For locations where the electrical grid is weak or unreliable, thermal-oil heating can be considered. It provides process heat through a heat-transfer-oil system rather than relying entirely on a stable electrical feed for the heating process.
This is one of the configuration points that should be discussed before equipment manufacturing.
3. How much building space is required?
The reference layout uses a building of approximately:
15 m × 6 m × 6 m
This corresponds to roughly 90 m² of floor space.
The covered bay can accommodate the main refining kettles, heat source, vacuum system and air compressor. Depending on the site, some auxiliary equipment such as the cooling tower and vacuum pump may be positioned outdoors.
A standard dimension should not automatically be treated as the final building drawing. The actual equipment arrangement should be checked against the buyer's site.
4. How long does the project take?
There are two different project periods.
Factory manufacturing
Manufacturing and pre-assembly take approximately 90 working days in the reference configuration.
On-site installation
On-site installation is approximately 60 days, including installation supervision, commissioning and operator training.
However, this schedule depends partly on whether the buyer has completed the required site preparation.
Foundations, lifting equipment, local welding and electrical work are normally part of the buyer's preparation scope.
Having these ready when the engineer arrives can help keep the installation schedule on track.
5. What should the buyer prepare?
Before installation, the site should be checked for:
Power
A three-phase supply suitable for approximately 26 kW installed load should be available for the reference refining unit.
Water
A small start-up water tank of approximately 2 m³ is referenced, together with a cooling pond or cooling tower.
Building
A covered area of approximately 15 m × 6 m × 6 m should be planned for the reference configuration.
Heating
The project should determine whether electric heating or thermal-oil heating is more appropriate.
Refining chemicals
The process requires materials such as caustic soda, phosphoric acid and bleaching earth.
Civil and installation support
Foundations, crane or hoisting equipment, local welding and electrical work should be prepared before installation.
6. Is a 1 TPD refinery suitable for a small business?
A 1 TPD batch refinery can be considered when the project has an oil throughput of around one ton per day and is not yet ready for continuous-scale production.
Its relatively compact layout can also be useful when land or building space is limited.
Another advantage of batch processing is flexibility. Different crude oils can be processed in separate batches, depending on the equipment configuration and production plan.
On the other hand, businesses handling larger and more stable volumes may need to evaluate semi-continuous or fully continuous refining systems.
The decision should therefore be based on more than nominal capacity. Raw material availability, target refined products, utilities, site conditions, operating pattern and future expansion should all be considered.
7. What happens if the power supply is unreliable?
This is an important issue for many small refinery projects.
A stable three-phase supply is assumed for the 26 kW reference configuration. Where voltage dips or power interruptions are common, the project may need a suitable stabilisation or generator solution, or the heating system may be configured around thermal-oil heating.
The exact generator and stabiliser rating should be confirmed according to the complete equipment configuration and local electrical conditions.
8. What should be confirmed before ordering?
Before requesting the final configuration, buyers should prepare at least:
- Crude oil type
- Expected daily oil volume
- Building dimensions
- Local power condition
- Water availability
- Target refined-oil specification
- Heating preference or power limitations
- Installation conditions
This information allows the supplier to check the connected load, heating method, equipment layout and installation schedule more accurately.
Conclusion
For a 1 TPD small palm oil refinery, early project planning should include more than equipment price.
A reference configuration requires about 26.05 kW installed power, approximately 15 × 6 × 6 m of building space, around 90 working days for factory manufacturing, and approximately 60 days for on-site installation.
These are project-planning reference figures rather than universal values. The final equipment configuration should be confirmed according to the actual project conditions.
For the detailed technical guide:
http://www.palmoilextractionmachine.com/FAQ/small_palm_oil_refinery_1384.html
Glory Oiltech (Henan Glory):
http://www.palmoilprocessingmachine.com
Palm oil processing and extraction equipment:
http://www.palmoilextractionmachine.com
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