Groundnut Oil Processing Plants
A groundnut oil plant sorts and conditions shelled groundnuts, presses the oil, filters it and, where needed, refines it, leaving a protein-rich cake.
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Groundnut Oil Processing Plants
The feed is clean, shelled kernels; in-shell nuts need a sheller ahead of the line. Unlike a sunflower line there is no hull stage to balance, and the safety work moves to the kernels: aflatoxin is not spread evenly through a lot, it is associated with small, damaged and discoloured kernels, and it can pass into both the oil and the cake. A groundnut project is therefore judged on intake, sorting and storage as much as on the press. The plant makes crude, filtered or refined oil and a cake that can be sold as feed or processed for food, once each lot is tested. A buyer must settle the kernel supply and its moisture and storage, how the reject stream is handled, whether pressing is enough, how far the oil is to be refined, since refining removes aflatoxin but also strips peanut aroma, and where the cake will go. These choices drive the sorter, conditioner, press and refining scope.
Shelled kernels are cleaned and sorted by size and colour, because the smallest and most discoloured kernels carry the highest aflatoxin risk, and the rejects are routed away from food and feed. Accepted kernels are conditioned, meaning they are heated and brought to the right moisture, and then pressed in a screw expeller. Temperature, heating time, pressure and moisture at the press decide oil yield and quality; where they are neglected the result is low yield, high loss in the cake and poor oil. The pressed oil is settled and filtered. Refining is a commercial choice as well as a safety one: it removes most aflatoxin but also removes the peanut aroma that many buyers want, so some projects use a gentler adsorbent step, such as bleaching earth, and rely on strict intake control instead. Solvent extraction of the cake is an option for larger plants and adds a flame-proof area and solvent recovery. Aflatoxin can also be present in the cake, so the cake route (testing, treatment, sale as feed) is fixed before the oil line is specified. The key choices are sorting depth, conditioning control, press-only or solvent, degree of refining and the cake route.
Indicative Capacity Range
- 0.5–20 tonnes seeds/day
Key Specification Inputs
Oil content, expeller vs solvent, filtration, refining and utilities.
Technical Specifications
| Technology | Screw pressing of conditioned groundnut kernels, with filtration, optional refining and optional solvent extraction of the cake |
|---|---|
| Feed | Shelled, sorted groundnut kernels; in-shell nuts need a sheller ahead of the line |
| Sorting | Colour sorter and size grader, with a controlled route for the reject stream |
| Conditioning | Kernel heating and moisture control, with recorded temperature and time |
| Pressing | Screw expeller, sized by kernel throughput and set by conditioning and press pressure |
| Solvent Extraction | Optional, for larger plants; adds a flame-proof area and solvent recovery |
| Oil Clarification | Settling tanks followed by a filter press |
| Refining | Chosen by oil grade: none, bleaching-earth treatment or full refining, with the effect on peanut aroma weighed |
| Cake Handling | Cake cooler, dry storage and lot-by-lot testing before sale |
| Final Output | Crude, filtered or refined groundnut oil, plus cake and a rejected-kernel stream |
Typical Process Route
Shelling, Cleaning and Storage
In-shell nuts are shelled, and kernels are cleaned and held in dry stores. Moisture and storage conditions decide whether aflatoxin develops, so intake records and dry storage are part of the plant.
Colour and Size Sorting
Kernels are graded by size and by colour, and discoloured and small ones are rejected. The reject stream needs a controlled destination, not a return to food or feed.
Kernel Conditioning
Kernels are heated and brought to the right moisture before pressing. Temperature and time are a design variable, because poor conditioning shows up directly as low oil yield and oil left in the cake.
Pressing
A screw expeller presses the oil out of the kernels, leaving cake. Wear parts need regular inspection, and press settings are tuned for the batch.
Settling and Filtration
Oil stands in tanks and passes through a filter press to remove fines. Clean filter cloths and a clean oil path keep rancid residue from building up.
Refining or Adsorbent Treatment
Where required, the oil is refined or treated with bleaching earth. Full refining removes most aflatoxin but also the peanut aroma, which a gentler step keeps if the raw material is well controlled.
Cake Handling
Cake is cooled and bagged dry, and each lot is tested before it is routed to feed or food. A damp store spoils it.
Storage and Filling
Oil goes to closed storage and is filled into bottles, jerrycans or drums, with lot records kept so any problem can be traced to its source.
Process & Equipment Modules
- Sheller for in-shell nuts, where used
- Kernel cleaner and destoner
- Colour sorter and size grader
- Dry kernel storage bins
- Kernel conditioner or cooker
- Screw expeller press
- Settling tanks and filter press
- Cake cooler and bagging point
- Refining or bleaching-earth section, where fitted
- Solvent extractor with solvent recovery, where fitted
- Closed oil storage tanks
- Filling and packing line
Plant Output
Applications
- Unrefined groundnut oil with peanut aroma for cooking and frying
- Refined groundnut oil for retail and food service
- Crude oil sold to refiners and food manufacturers
- Groundnut cake as animal feed, from tested lots
- Groundnut cake for traditional cake-based snacks and flours, from tested lots
- Oil for snack, sauce and food-manufacturing use
Key Features
Sorting Ahead of the Press
Colour and size sorting separate the kernels most likely to carry aflatoxin before any oil is pressed.
Intake and Storage Policy
Dry storage and lot records matter as much as machinery, because the toxin develops in storage and moves into oil and cake.
Conditioning You Can Control
Temperature, time and moisture before the press are specified and recorded, since they decide yield, loss in the cake and oil quality.
Refining Level as a Choice
Full refining, a gentler adsorbent step or none at all are all options, and each trades safety margin against peanut aroma.
Cake Route Fixed Early
Testing, possible treatment and the market for the cake are agreed before the line is specified.
Country Pages for Groundnut Oil Processing Plants
This product is listed on the pages of the countries below, each with its own enquiry route. Where Kadali has no office in a country, enquiries are handled from the Accra office.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What information is needed to size Groundnut Oil Processing Plants?
What capacity range does Groundnut Oil Processing Plants cover?
Does refining remove aflatoxin from groundnut oil?
Why are groundnuts sorted by colour and size before pressing?
What sets how much oil the press recovers?
Do I need a solvent extractor, or is a press enough?
Is a gentler treatment possible instead of full refining?
Can groundnut press cake from contaminated kernels still be used?
How do I request a proposal for Groundnut Oil Processing Plants?
Enquire about Groundnut Oil Processing Plants
Send your raw material, target product and capacity to Kadali Africa Ventures for a technical proposal.