Turnkey Peanut Oil Processing Plant from Design to Installation

In today's highly competitive edible oil market, building a stable, efficient, and compliant peanut oil processing plant is no longer a simple equipment purchasing decision—it is a systematic engineering project.
From raw peanut cleaning and pretreatment to oil pressing or solvent extraction, refining, and finished oil storage, every process step directly affects oil yield, energy consumption, product quality, and long-term operating costs.
With more than 40 years of experience in grain and oil machinery manufacturing and project delivery, QIE Group provides a complete turnkey peanut oil processing plant solution, covering engineering design, equipment manufacturing, installation, and commissioning—helping investors reduce risks, shorten project timelines, and achieve sustainable profitability.

Key Challenges in Building a Peanut Oil Processing Plant

When planning a peanut oil processing project, investors commonly face the following challenges:

1️⃣ Low Pretreatment Efficiency Affects Oil Yield and Equipment Life

Raw peanuts usually contain 10–15% impurities. Inadequate cleaning, shelling, or crushing increases equipment wear and causes oil loss, significantly raising production costs.

In many projects across Africa and Central Asia, we have found that pretreatment is often underestimated—yet it is one of the most critical factors determining final profitability.

2️⃣ Improper Capacity Planning Leads to Poor ROI

Small-scale workshops struggle to meet stable market demand, while oversized plants may suffer from idle capacity and capital pressure.

From engineering practice, 50 TPD (tons per day) is often a balanced capacity for medium-scale peanut oil processing plants. However, the final configuration must be calculated based on raw material supply, market positioning, and investment strategy.

3️⃣ Incorrect Refining Process Results in Quality or Flavor Loss

Crude peanut oil contains gums, free fatty acids, pigments, and trace impurities.
If refining is applied without differentiation, the product may either fail to meet edible oil standards or lose its characteristic peanut aroma due to over-processing.

4️⃣ Complex Project Coordination Increases Risk

Plant layout design, equipment selection, installation, and commissioning involve multiple disciplines.
Managing multiple suppliers independently often leads to interface mismatches and project delays.

This is why more investors now choose a turnkey EPC (Engineering, Procurement, Construction) solution.

QIE Group Turnkey Peanut Oil Processing Solution: 7 Key Steps

Step 1: Customized Requirement Analysis and Process Design

At the project initiation stage, QIE engineers conduct detailed discussions focusing on:

• Peanut oil content (typically 45–55%)

• Raw material moisture and impurity levels

• Target product positioning (aromatic oil or refined oil)

• Investment budget and payback expectations

Based on these parameters, two typical solutions are commonly adopted:

Small-Capacity Processing Line

Using a drum roaster + screw oil press + plate filter, this solution requires lower investment and delivers quick returns. Precise roasting temperature control promotes Maillard reactions, creating a stable and rich peanut aroma for premium markets.

Medium to Large-Capacity Processing Line

Using a pre-pressing + solvent extraction + refining process, total oil recovery can increase by 3–5%. The system supports hot pressing, cold pressing, and pre-pressing modes to serve diversified markets.

In a 50 TPD peanut oil project in Malawi, accurate process calculations allowed the plant to achieve oil yields above regional averages, despite relatively low raw material oil content.

Step 2: Scientific Peanut Pretreatment Configuration

Pretreatment quality defines the performance ceiling of the entire production line.

Standard QIE configurations include:

• Four-stage cleaning system: magnetic separator, vibrating screen, and destoner, achieving impurity removal rates above 99.5%

• Flexible shelling technology: kernel-shell separation efficiency ≥95%, with kernel loss in shells <1%

• Intelligent conditioning system: automatically adjusts temperature and residence time based on moisture content, ensuring optimal pressing conditions

One Nigerian client reduced electricity consumption by approximately 28 kWh per ton of raw material after optimizing pretreatment—an improvement that could not be achieved by press adjustment alone.

Step 3: High-Efficiency Oil Extraction Solutions

Mechanical Pressing Process

• Aromatic pressing (small oil press)
  Oil yield: 35–40%
  Residual oil in cake: 6–8%
  High pressure and low temperature maximize flavor retention.

• Pre-pressing (large screw press)
  Oil yield: 30–35%
  Residual oil in cake: 16–20%
  Creates stable conditions for solvent extraction. 👉(peanut oil press machine)

System features include:

• Optimized screw structure for smooth oil flow

• Automatic temperature control to prevent carbonization

• Uniform cake shape suitable for continuous processing

Solvent Extraction Process

Process flow:

Pre-pressed cake → Counter-current extractor → Miscella → Evaporation & stripping → Crude oil
Wet meal → DTDC desolventizer → Finished peanut meal 

Key performance indicators:

• Residual oil ≤0.8%

• Solvent consumption ≤1.5 kg/t

• Solvent recovery ≥99.5%

• Thermal efficiency improved by 10–15% 👉(Peanut oil solvent extraction plant)

In multiple West African projects, the pre-pressing + extraction combination has proven to be the most economical solution for high-oil-content peanut

Step 4: Refined Peanut Oil Processing System

Standard refining process:

Degumming → Deacidification → Decolorization → Deodorization

QIE engineers emphasize a critical distinction:

• Aromatic peanut oil: light treatment only, must not enter deodorization

• Grade 1 refined peanut oil: full refining with high-vacuum deodorization

System advantages:

• Continuous or batch refining options

• High-vacuum, low-oxygen operation

• Energy consumption reduced by 10–15%

• Finished oil meets national Grade 1 or Grade 2 standards

Step 5: Intelligent Control and Data Management

Modern oil mills rely heavily on digital management:

• PLC centralized control system

• Energy management (steam ≤420 kg/t oil)

• Full production and quality traceability

In an Ethiopian project, these systems improved overall efficiency by approximately 35% while reducing management costs by 20%.

Step 6: Professional Installation and Commissioning

• 3D plant layout design saving 15–30% floor space

• Certified installation teams

• 72-hour continuous load commissioning to ensure performance compliance

Step 7: Long-Term After-Sales Support

• 24-hour technical response

• Local spare parts availability

• Continuous process optimization support

Why Choose QIE Group as Your Turnkey Peanut Oil Plant Partner?

• Time and cost savings:  The design-to-production cycle is shortened by 40-60%, allowing you to seize market opportunities faster.

• Comprehensive risk control: A one-stop solution avoids problems such as interface mismatches and process integration issues.

• Guaranteed quality throughout: All equipment is ISO9001 and CE certified, with a 3-year warranty on key components.

• Reduced management burden: No need to coordinate multiple suppliers; one phone call solves all problems. 👉(Turnkey edible oil processing plant)

“After working with QIE, I can finally focus on market development instead of daily equipment issues.”
— Client feedback from Uzbekistan

QIE Group Engineering Strength and Global Experience

• Established in 1982

• Provincial-level edible oil equipment engineering research center

• Nearly 200 patented technologies

• Class I & II pressure vessel design and manufacturing qualifications

• Equipment exported to over 100 countries

Representative projects:

• Malawi 50 TPD peanut oil plant

• Nigeria 50 TPD pretreatment + 15 TPD refining line

• Uzbekistan 100 TPD fully automated production line