Friday, December 19, 2014

SWAPP investigates oil palm mill efficiency levels

Solidaridad’s Sustainable West Africa Palm Oil Programme (SWAPP) says it is conducting a research study to determine efficiency levels of the small scale oil palm processing mills in the country.

The research is expected to cover four different mills; namely Yabosson Oil Mill in Adonkrono, Worfapa Ye Oil Mill in Kusi, Serendipalm Organic, and Fair Trade Oil Mill in Asuom, all located in the Eastern and Central Regions.

SWAPP contracted Lawrence Atsrim, a palm oil processing and refinery expert with 32 years of experience working in oil palm processing in Ghana, to lead the team of researchers to carry out a Mill Extraction Efficiency Research on the different types of artisanal mill set-ups existing in the country.

Ghana has over 1,250 local small-scale,artisanal palm oil processing mills located in the Central, Ashanti, Eastern, and Western Regions of the country. These mills process approximately 60 percent of the country’s fresh fruit bunches.

According to Mac Makafui Amedzi, SWAPP Mill Engineer, “The study is set to provide baseline information on overall mill extraction efficiency for the various types of artisanal mill set-ups.

“The research will assess efficiency of the following mills: a typical spindle press, a hydraulic press; single-worm screw press without a digester, but where whole-bunch cooking is applicable; and a single-worm screw press that does not have a digester and you cook loose fruits,” said Makafui Amedzi.

Data collected will help inform SWAPP on the various interventions needed to further improve the efficiencies, and hence profitability, of the various types of artisanal mill set-ups.

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