Porto, Portugal – September 5th, 2017: IncBio, a leading Portuguese engineering company specializing in biodiesel and advanced biorefinery technologies, has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Vitae Palm SL, a Spanish company, to construct a state-of-the-art facility in Spain. This plant will focus on extracting high-value components from vegetable acid oil, including tocopherol (Vitamin E), squalene, and sterols.
The plant will leverage IncBio’s expertise in biodiesel production, featuring food-grade design and a multi-stage process. The initial stages involve acid esterification and transesterification, converting the fatty acids and triglycerides into methyl esters, which will facilitate the separation of components in a multi-distillation system.
A key highlight of the plant is the integration of a high-vacuum wiped film evaporator for the multi-distillation process, designed to minimize the degradation of high-value components during separation. The final stage of the process includes a multi-crystallization system, ensuring the highest purity and market profitability for each extracted component.
With a processing capacity of 1 ton per hour, the facility will be a groundbreaking step in the extraction of value-added components from vegetable oils, ensuring maximum profitability and quality in the market.
José Marques, CEO of IncBio, stated: “This MOU with Vitae Palm SL showcases our ability to apply our biodiesel expertise to the production of high-value nutraceutical components. This facility will set a benchmark in quality and profitability in the extraction of tocopherol, squalene, and sterols.”