5TPD Small Oil Refinery Successfully Implemented in Burkina Faso

Small Vegetable Oil Refinery Constructed in Burkina Faso

We recently installed a small 5TPD edible oil intermittent refinery line in Burkina Faso, reflecting our professional experience in designing and delivering turnkey oil mill projects.

Project Background: Burkina Faso Oil Processing Status and Client Starting Point

Local farmers and small to medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Burkina Faso usually press oil crops into crude oil for direct sale or simple processing. However, crude oil typically has high acidity, high impurity content, and dark color, making it difficult to enter mainstream retail channels or compete with imported refined vegetable oil in regional markets.

The client had previously invested in a Russian-made cooking oil expeller line with a capacity of about 1 ton/hour, producing more than ten tons of crude oil daily.

During market research, the client discovered:

1. The local refined oil price is generally 30%–40% higher than crude oil;
2. Restaurants and food processing companies have increasing quality requirements, leading to a steady rise in the market share of imported oil;
3. Establishing a small to medium-scale refinery could not only process their own crude oil but also provide contract refining services to nearby small pressing mills.

Against this backdrop, the client decided to purchase a small oil refinery machine from our company as a crucial step to transform from a crude oil producer into a comprehensive edible oil business.

Client Needs and Challenges: Why Choose a Small 5TPD Oil Refining Line

After evaluating their requirements and market environment, the client chose a small 5TPD batch oil refinery, considering the following factors:

1. Flexibility and Cost Control of Small-Scale Refining
   The client's crude oil output was limited, about 10–12 tons per day. Compared with a large continuous refining line, the 5TPD intermittent small oil refinery has lower investment, occupies less space, and is suitable for market testing.
2. High Requirements for Equipment Material and Quality
   Edible oil refining involves acid-base chemical treatment. If the equipment lacks corrosion resistance, it directly affects oil hygiene and service life. Therefore, the client required all refining tanks and pipelines to be made of stainless steel with smooth surfaces for easy cleaning, equipped with temperature control and pH monitoring devices to ensure controllable batch processing.
3. Importance of Installation and Commissioning
   Since the client already had an expeller line, the refining line had to integrate smoothly with existing production. Installation and commissioning involve not only equipment operation but also raw material flow, temperature control, and operational safety from pressing to refining.

Tip: Many SMEs investing in their first refining line often underestimate the complexity of commissioning. Typical issues include inaccurate temperature control causing acidity fluctuations, poor residue discharge leading to dark oil color, and improper pipeline connections affecting operational efficiency.

Small Oil Refining Machinery Installation Site

Our company provides full professional installation and commissioning services, ensuring that your oil refining equipment operates efficiently and safely from delivery to stable production.

Our Solution: Stainless Steel Intermittent Oil Refinery with Laboratory Configuration

To meet the client's needs for oil quality, operational safety, and market competitiveness, we provided a complete small-scale 5TPD soybean oil stainless steel intermittent refining solution, with laboratory testing equipment to ensure process control and product traceability. (Learning More about Soybean Oil Refining Process>>)

Supplied Equipment Combination

• 5TPD stainless steel intermittent refinery: includes degumming, neutralization, bleaching, and deodorization units; all tanks are corrosion-resistant stainless steel compliant with food hygiene standards.
• Laboratory testing equipment: acid value tester, color analyzer, moisture detector, allowing quality control before and after refining each batch.
• Auxiliary systems: temperature control system, vacuum pumps, filtration, and residue discharge devices to ensure operational safety and oil stability.

Equipment Features and Applicability

• High corrosion resistance and hygiene standards: stainless steel ensures safe contact with cooking oil, easy cleaning and maintenance, suitable for tropical climates;
• Flexible batch operation: each batch handles about 1 ton of crude oil, allowing adjustment of process parameters, ideal for small-scale production or market testing;
• Laboratory support: equipped instruments enable instant evaluation of refining effects, providing data for subsequent process optimization.

Our Engineers with the Client

Project Implementation: Key Stages from Design to Commissioning

From design to equipment delivery and commissioning, we ensured every stage was controllable, safe, and seamlessly integrated with the client’s existing expeller line.

1. Detailed survey of client raw materials, output, and equipment layout to determine refinery layout and process parameters;
2. Manufacture and inspection of stainless steel tanks, pipelines, and auxiliary refining equipment;
3. Shipment of equipment to Burkina Faso with on-site installation guidance and commissioning.

Installation and Commissioning Highlights

• Pressing and refining connection: ensuring crude oil from the expeller line reaches the refinery with controlled temperature, impurity content, and pH value to maintain refining quality;
• Temperature and vacuum system adjustment: stepwise commissioning of neutralization, bleaching, and deodorization units to achieve target acid value (usually ≤0.3 mg KOH/g) and desired color;
• Operational training: on-site training of operators to master temperature, timing, residue discharge, and cleaning procedures, ensuring consistent quality per batch.

Typical On-Site Issues and Solutions

• Poor residue discharge causing dark oil color
  During initial commissioning, the bleaching unit's activated clay discharged slowly, causing part of the oil to appear darker. Solution: optimize discharge pipe diameter and liquid level control to ensure uniform mixing and timely removal of clay.

Project Results: Improved Oil Quality and Increased Capacity

After about one month of installation and commissioning, the small 5TPD stainless steel intermittent refinery in Burkina Faso was successfully put into operation, enabling efficient conversion from crude to refined oil.

1. Significant Improvement in Refined Oil Quality
   • Acid value reduction: crude oil acid value around 2.5–3 mg KOH/g reduced to ≤0.3 mg KOH/g, significantly lowering spoilage risk;
   • Color improvement: bleaching and deodorization transformed dark yellow oil into clear yellow, meeting retail and food industry standards;
   • Extended shelf life: vacuum deodorization allows storage for 6–8 months, about 2–3 months longer than crude oil, aiding inventory and sales management.
2. Daily 5-Ton Capacity Supports Business Model:  The small 5TPD refinery can process 5 tons of crude oil per day, matching the client’s existing 1-ton/hour expeller line; The client can refine their own output and provide contract services to nearby small mills, expanding revenue channels.

Refined Soybean Oil and Crude Oil

Future Plans and Outlook: From Refinery to Full-Process Oil Production

After successfully operating the 5TPD refinery, the client has started planning a full-process oil production layout to further enhance competitiveness and market coverage.

• Add Oil Filling Line to Complete Supply Chain

The client plans to purchase semi-automated filling and packaging equipment to produce retail-packaged refined oil. Integrating pressing, refining, filling, and outbound operations reduces intermediate costs, strengthens brand image, and secures stable purchase channels.

• Reference Value for Burkina Faso and West Africa

The small 5TPD intermittent refinery model provides a replicable example for SMEs: low investment, fast results, scalable. This integrated “pressing + refining + subsequent filling” approach ensures oil quality while complying with local hygiene and market standards.

For other SMEs in the region, the project demonstrates a feasible path to increase crude oil value through small-scale refining and laboratory support, helping upgrade the local oil processing industry and reduce dependence on imported refined oil.

If you are interested in establishing a small edible oil processing and refining plant locally and gradually expanding to full-process oil production, we provide a complete professional service from design, equipment selection, installation, commissioning to operational guidance. Contact us today!