A 150 TPD chemical refining line added to an existing cottonseed crushing facility in Uzbekistan, including caustic refining, bleaching, deodorization and soap stock splitting.
Uzbekistan is one of the world's largest cotton producers, and the client already operates a 150 TPD cottonseed crushing facility. The addition of a refining train allows them to capture the value of the crude oil internally rather than selling it to refiners at a discount.
The refining line is conventional chemical refining: phosphoric acid degumming → caustic neutralization → bleaching earth → deodorization (250°C, 3 mbar) → cooling → polish filtration. Soap stock is split into fatty acid using a high-pressure splitter; the fatty acid is sold to the local soap industry.
Local climate matters in Tashkent — extreme heat in summer, cold winters. The line includes pre-insulation, redundant cooling water pumps, and a winterization package that allows continuous operation down to -15°C ambient.
The line has been running since 2022. The client's gross margin on refined oil is approximately 22% higher than on crude oil sales, with annual incremental EBITDA of around USD 2.5 million at 90% utilization.