On-site Planning
Installation & Commissioning
Automated & Energy Efficient
Client Name: C***A Citrus By-Products Processing Group
Country: Kingdom of Spain
Region: Valencian Community – Europe's famous "Citrus Coast," a global center for orange juice processing, with abundant citrus processing byproducts
Core Products: Dehydrated diced orange peel (bakery ingredient), orange peel powder (natural flavor), candied orange peel raw material, organic orange fiber, citrus essential oil
Equipment Configuration: Hadof customized multi-layer mesh belt hot air drying line (with integrated low-temperature vacuum drying and essential oil cold-trapping system)
Commissioning Date: Q4 2021
Spain is Europe's largest citrus producer, and the Valencia region, known as the "Orchard of Europe," processes millions of tons of oranges annually for juice. However, the disposal of orange peel (45%-50% of fresh fruit weight) from juicing has long plagued the industry. C***A Group, a leading processor of citrus byproducts in the region, specializes in valorizing waste like orange and lemon peel. Facing explosive European demand for natural food ingredients and clean-label products, the limitations of traditional processing became increasingly apparent.
Staggering Orange Peel Waste: The Valencia region generates over 500,000 tons of fresh orange peel annually. Traditional disposal includes drying for low-value animal feed (<�100/ton) or landfilling, representing low value and significant environmental burden (greenhouse gas emissions).
Poor Quality from Traditional Drying: Open-air sun-dried peel, affected by the Mediterranean climate, suffers from long drying times, mold, darkening, and severe aroma loss, rendering it suitable only for low-grade feed or compost.
Surge in European Demand for Natural Ingredients: The baking and food industries in Germany, France, and Italy have strong demand for high-quality dehydrated orange peel (for cakes, bread, cookies) and orange peel powder (for natural flavorings, teas), growing over 15% annually. These products long relied on imports from Turkey and Egypt with inconsistent quality and frequent issues with pesticide residues and sulfur dioxide.
"Zero Waste" Policy Pressure: The EU's new Circular Economy package imposes stricter requirements on food processing byproduct management, pushing companies to transform peel from "waste" to high-value products.
Clean Label Trend: European consumers pay a premium for additive-free, non-sulphured orange peel products with natural color and aroma.
The client's needs were precise: produce dehydrated orange peel products meeting EU food-grade standards, fully retaining natural color and aroma, additive-free and non-sulphured, while maximizing the recovery of high-value components (essential oils, pectin).
After comparing Italian and German equipment, C***A Group ultimately chose our company. Our advantage lay in developing a specialized aroma-color protection drying process for citrus peel, known for its richness in volatile essential oils, pectin, and heat-sensitive pigments.
Solution: Three Custom Designs for Valencia Orange Peel Characteristics
1. "Low-Temperature Vacuum Drying + Essential Oil Cold-Trapping" Aroma-Lock System
Addressing the challenges of heat-volatile essential oils (mainly limonene) and pigment degradation, we used low-temperature vacuum drying combined with essential oil condensation capture technology.
Low-Temperature Vacuum Locks Color: Under vacuum, the boiling point of water decreases, allowing drying at 40°C-50°C, far below traditional hot air drying (70°C-80°C). Carotenoid retention exceeds 90%, resulting in a natural bright orange-yellow color with translucent edges, far superior to imported products.
Essential Oil Cold-Trapping Adds Value: Volatilized oils during drying are captured by a -5°C condensation system and sold as natural citrus essential oil. Each ton of fresh peel yields 2.5-3.5 kg of high-quality oil, adding hundreds of euros in revenue.
Sulphur-Free Color Protection: The vacuum/low-temperature environment naturally inhibits browning reactions, completely replacing sulfite treatment, making products compliant with EU "Clean Label" requirements.
2. Flexible Process for Different Applications
For Baking-Grade Diced Peel (core product): Fresh peel is cut into 3-5mm dice and low-temperature vacuum dried for 10-12 hours to <12% moisture. The product is orange-yellow, aromatic, and rehydrates to a plump, soft texture, ideal for Panettone, Christmas cakes, cookies, and bread.
For Orange Peel Powder (natural flavor): Dried peel undergoes cryogenic grinding with liquid nitrogen (preventing heat damage to aroma) and is sieved to 60-80 mesh. The uniform orange-yellow fine powder is used in powdered drinks, seasonings, spices, and natural colorants.
For Candied Peel Raw Material: Dried dice retain intact cell structure, absorbing sugar uniformly during subsequent candying, offering excellent chewy texture for premium chocolates and desserts.
3. Waste Heat Recovery & Clean Energy Utilization
The Valencia region has abundant solar resources. We equipped the line with a solar air preheating system and a heat pump waste heat recovery unit, achieving a system COP over 3.8, saving 60% energy compared to traditional electric heating.
Vacuum pumps use variable frequency drives, automatically adjusting power based on load to further reduce electricity costs.
Client Testimonial: From Environmental Burden to Core Ingredient in European Bakeries
After commissioning, C***A Group's business expanded rapidly.
Capacity & Market Breakthrough
Throughput: Processes 50 tons of fresh orange peel daily, converting all previously waste material into high-value products. 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), BRC, and ISO 22000 certifications. By 2024, diced orange peel exports to Germany, France, and Italy grew 600%, entering major European bakery ingredient supply chains.
Significant Economic Benefits
Product Premium: High-quality dehydrated diced orange peel sells for �3,500-4,500/ton in Europe, 30-40 times the price of feed-grade peel. Recovered citrus essential oil sells for �40-60/kg, becoming a new profit center.
Return on Investment: Group CEO Mr. García calculated: "Orange peel used to be our biggest environmental liability, costing over �500,000 annually in disposal. Now it's our core profit source. We recouped the entire equipment investment in under 18 months. Plus, the heat pump vacuum system uses even less electricity than expected."
Environmental & Social Responsibility
Zero Waste Goal: Comprehensive orange peel utilization exceeds 98%, reducing organic waste landfill by about 18,000 tons annually and cutting methane emissions by over 3,000 tons CO2 equivalent.
Carbon Neutral Production: Solar preheating and the heat pump system cut the line's carbon emissions by 65%, earning Spain's Ministry for Ecological Transition "Circular Economy Model Enterprise" recognition.
"Valencia's sun gives us the world's most aromatic oranges, but we used to throw half the fruit away. Hadof's drying line showed us that real technology unlocks the full value of every orange, letting the Spanish sunshine and aroma drift into bakeries across Europe with every piece of diced peel."
—— C***A Citrus By-Products Processing Group, CEO Javier García
