On-site Planning
Installation & Commissioning
Automated & Energy Efficient
Client Name: L***M Citrus Cooperative
Country: Kingdom of Spain
Region: Region of Murcia – Europe's famous "vegetable garden," Mediterranean climate, core production area for lemons and citrus fruits
Core Products: Dried lemon slices (for infusion), lemon powder (food additive), dehydrated lemon peel (bakery ingredient), organic lemon granules
Equipment Configuration: Hadof customized multi-layer mesh belt hot air drying line (with integrated low-temperature vacuum drying and essential oil recovery modules)
Commissioning Date: Q4 2022
Spain is Europe's largest lemon producer. The Mediterranean sunshine and fertile soil of the Murcia region nurture exceptional Fino and Verna lemons. L***M Cooperative, based here with over 60 years of citrus growing and fresh sales history, represents over 300 member farmers. However, facing explosive growth in the European market for natural health drinks and functional food ingredients, the limitations of the traditional fresh-sales model became increasingly apparent.
Price Volatility & Surplus Dilemma: Lemons have a concentrated harvest. In high-yield years, fresh fruit prices plummet. lemons with minor appearance flaws (small blemishes, slightly small size) cannot enter EU supermarkets and are sold cheaply to juice factories for under �0.3/kg, causing significant losses for the cooperative.
Surge in European Dried Lemon Slice Market: Demand from German, French, and Nordic consumers for dried lemon slices and lemon powder grows over 15% annually. However, dried lemon slices in European supermarkets have long relied on imports from Turkey and Egypt, with inconsistent quality and occasional sulfur dioxide issues.
Waste of Byproducts like Lemon Peel: During juice processing, lemon peel (40%-50% of fresh fruit weight), rich in pectin and essential oils, is difficult to utilize traditionally, mostly ending up as feed or waste.
Commitment to "Clean Label": The cooperative aimed to produce additive-free, non-sulphured dried lemon slices retaining natural aroma and color, to enter the high-end EU organic food market.
The client's needs were precise: fully retain natural lemon aroma and vitamin C, achieve a natural light yellow or yellow-green color without sulphuring, and comply with strict EU food safety regulations and Spain's high energy costs.
After comparing Italian and German equipment, L***M Cooperative ultimately chose our company. Our advantage lay in developing a specialized aroma-protecting, color-preserving drying process for lemons, known for their rich essential oils, heat-sensitive vitamin C, and easily browning flesh.
Solution: Three Custom Designs for Mediterranean Lemon Characteristics
1. "Low-Temperature Vacuum + Essential Oil Recovery" Aroma-Lock System
Addressing the challenge of heat-volatile essential oils in lemon peel, we used low-temperature vacuum drying combined with essential oil condensation recovery technology.
Low-Temperature Vacuum Locks Aroma: Under vacuum, the boiling point of water decreases, allowing drying at 45°C-55°C, far below traditional hot air drying (70°C-80°C). Lemon peel essential oil retention exceeds 85%, aroma components like limonene are fully preserved, and vitamin C loss is under 10%.
Value-Added Oil Recovery: Small amounts of volatilized essential oils during drying are recovered via a condensation system and sold as natural lemon essential oil raw material, yielding an additional 2-3 kg of oil per ton of lemons, adding hundreds of euros in revenue.
2. Flexible Process for Different Lemon Parts
For Dried Lemon Slices (core infusion product): Uniform 3-5mm slices undergo low-temperature vacuum drying for 8-10 hours. The final product is pale yellow with translucent edges, rehydrates quickly in water, has an intense aroma, and can be steeped 3-4 times. The non-sulphured process earns EU "Clean Label" certification.
For Lemon Powder (food additive): Dried slices are ground at low temperature, yielding a uniform light yellow, fine powder with stable acidity, used in baking, seasonings, and powdered drinks.
For Dehydrated Lemon Peel (bakery ingredient): Lemon peel is dried and ground separately, retaining natural pectin and fiber for use in cakes, cookies, and jams.
3. Solar-Assisted Preheating & Waste Heat Recovery
The Murcia region enjoys over 300 days of sunshine annually. We designed a solar air preheating system for the drying line, preheating ambient air to 35°C-40°C before it enters the heat pump system, reducing electric heating energy consumption by 30%.
The closed-loop heat pump dehumidification system recovers 90% of the heat from the exhaust air, achieving a system COP over 4.0, saving 60% energy compared to traditional electric heating.
Client Testimonial: "Value Blossoms" from Mediterranean Sun to European Teacups
After commissioning, L***M Cooperative's business expanded rapidly.
Capacity & Market Breakthrough
Throughput: Processes 20 tons of fresh lemons daily, converting previously low-value Grade B and cull fruit into high-value dried lemon slices, powder, and peel. The selling season extends year-round.
High-End Market Access: The non-sulphured, additive-free low-temperature vacuum drying process helped secure EU Organic (ECOCERT) and UK BRC certifications. By 2025, dried lemon slice exports to Germany, France, and the Netherlands grew 450%, with products entering mainstream supermarkets like REWE, Edeka, and organic food chains.
Significant Economic Benefits
Product Premium: Non-sulphured dried lemon slices retail for �15-20/kg, 5-8 times the price of fresh fruit. Recovered lemon essential oil sells for �50-80/kg, becoming a new profit center.
Return on Investment: Cooperative head Mr. Martínez calculated: "Those Grade B fruits used to go to juice factories for under �0.3/kg. Now as dried slices, they average over �10/kg. Adding essential oil revenue, we recouped the entire investment in under two years. Plus, the heat pump system uses even less electricity than expected, with operating costs far below Italian equipment."
Environmental & Social Responsibility
Zero Waste Goal: Lemon utilization increased from 60% to over 95%. Byproducts like peel are fully converted to high-value products, reducing organic waste by about 1,000 tons annually.
Green Energy: Solar preheating and the heat pump system cut the line's carbon emissions by 55%, earning subsidies from Spain's Ministry for Ecological Transition for "Green Manufacturing."
"The Mediterranean sun gives us the best lemons, but we used to watch them get bought cheaply. Hadof's drying line showed us that real technology preserves the sunny taste of lemons completely, letting every dried slice be as aromatic as when freshly picked, sending Spanish sunshine into every teacup across Europe."
—— L***M Citrus Cooperative, CEO Antonio Martínez
