250 TPD Shea Butter Processing Plant Project in Africa

Shea kernels are an important oil-bearing resource in Africa. Their processing places high requirements on raw material cleanliness, moisture content, particle size after crushing, cooking and conditioning, and pressing conditions. For an industrial processing capacity of 250 tons of shea kernels per day, the customer requires more than standalone equipment; they need a complete shea butter processing system connecting raw material reception, pretreatment, pressing, oil storage, and subsequent refining.

The project solution focuses on addressing variations between raw material batches, continuous production organization, oil recovery, by-product management, and coordinated production control. It transforms shea butter processing from separate operations into a production line with clearer workflows and more stable operation, providing a reliable oil raw material base for cosmetics, skincare, and food-related applications.

Based on the processing characteristics of shea kernels, QIE integrates pretreatment, continuous screw pressing, optional refining, utilities, and by-product handling into a unified design. Through control of raw material conditions at the front end, stable pressing in the middle stage, and product grading at the back end, the production line can produce crude shea butter or further processed refined shea butter according to the customer's product positioning.

1. Front-End Pretreatment:Shea kernels are cleaned, crushed, dried, and conditioned to reduce the impact of impurities and moisture fluctuations on the pressing process, while creating suitable conditions for subsequent oil release.

2. Continuous Mechanical Pressing:A 250 TPD continuous screw pressing system is used to continuously extract oil from conditioned material while simultaneously collecting press cake for subsequent conveying, storage, and comprehensive utilization.

3. Optional Oil Refining:Degumming, deacidification, bleaching, and deodorization processes can be configured according to finished oil application requirements to further process crude shea butter into refined shea butter suitable for subsequent applications.

Pretreatment System:Includes cleaning screens, crushers, dryers, and conditioning equipment for removing impurities, improving material condition, and enhancing pressing suitability.

Pressing System:A 250 TPD continuous screw pressing system supports continuous oil extraction from shea kernels and press cake collection.

Refining System (Optional):Degumming, deacidification, bleaching, and deodorization units for further improving the color, acidity, and purity of the oil.

Utility System:Steam boilers, hot-water systems, and heat recovery systems provide supporting energy for continuous production line operation.

Storage and By-Product System:Crude oil storage tanks, finished oil storage tanks, cooling and storage units, as well as oil cake conveying and storage systems.

Automatic Control System:A PLC-based automatic control system supports coordinated control of production stages and continuous operation management.

1. Raw Material Pretreatment

After cleaning, impurity removal, crushing, drying, and moisture adjustment, shea kernels enter the conditioning stage to improve material uniformity and provide more stable feed conditions for continuous pressing.

2. Continuous Mechanical Pressing

Conditioned material enters the continuous screw pressing system, where oil is separated from oil cake. The pressed oil proceeds to subsequent storage or refining stages, while the oil cake is conveyed centrally for further handling.

3. Oil Refining and Storage

When refined products are required, crude shea butter can undergo degumming, deacidification, bleaching, and deodorization in sequence, followed by cooling, storage, and other processes to produce refined shea butter.

• Based on the oil content characteristics and material condition of shea kernels, the process integrates cleaning, crushing, drying, and conditioning to improve the systematic efficiency of front-end material preparation.

• A continuous screw pressing process is adopted to meet the requirements of continuous production organization for processing 250 tonnes of shea kernels per day.

• A PLC control system coordinates key production stages, reducing manual operating intensity and supporting stable process management.

• Heat recovery and supporting utility systems are configured to address both production energy management and continuous operation requirements.

• Crude oil, finished oil, and oil cake are conveyed and stored separately, providing essential conditions for the subsequent utilization of oil products and by-products.

This African shea butter processing project provides continuous processing capacity for 250 tons of shea kernels per day, integrating raw material handling, oil pressing, and optional refining stages. The production line can stably produce crude shea butter and can further produce refined shea butter according to product plans, providing a processing foundation for customers developing products for cosmetics, skincare, and food-related markets.

At the production organization level, automated control and continuous equipment configuration create clearer process connections, helping improve raw material utilization efficiency, reduce operational intensity, and strengthen coordination between different process stages. Heat recovery and press cake handling systems further support energy utilization and by-product value creation.

Shea cake can be used for animal feed, organic fertilizer, or other value-added applications according to actual requirements. This ensures that raw material processing is not limited to oil output and provides customers with a more complete resource utilization pathway.

For shea butter projects with large-scale processing requirements, pretreatment quality, pressing continuity, refining configuration, and utility system coordination are key factors affecting production stability and product development pathways.

Building on its capabilities in grain and oil processing equipment design, manufacturing, installation, commissioning, and technical service, QIE Group provides turnkey processing plant solutions for shea butter projects, covering plant design, equipment configuration, installation and commissioning, and technical training. These solutions help customers convert local shea resources into oil products with a stronger industrial processing foundation.