Beet Pulp Pellet Line — Seasonal Production Considerations Addressed in Equipment Design for Client in Netherlands

A 6 t/h beet pulp pellet production line has been designed and is now in fabrication for a client in the Netherlands, with the equipment specification incorporating some particular considerations related to the seasonal nature of beet pulp availability — a factor that distinguishes this project from many of RICHI's other biomass and feed equipment orders.

Beet pulp is a byproduct of sugar beet processing, and sugar beet processing itself is highly seasonal — the "beet campaign" (the processing season) typically runs for a limited number of months following harvest, meaning beet pulp is generated in large volumes during this campaign period but isn't available year-round in the same way that, say, sawdust from a continuously operating sawmill would be.

This seasonality affects how the buyer plans to operate the pellet line — rather than running continuously throughout the year, the line will likely run intensively during and shortly after the beet campaign period (processing fresh beet pulp as it's generated, plus some pressed/stored pulp from earlier in the campaign), with reduced or paused operation during other parts of the year, depending on the buyer's storage capacity for unprocessed pulp and market demand for the pellet product (used primarily as livestock feed — beet pulp pellets are a well-established feed ingredient, particularly for cattle, valued for their fiber and energy content).

Equipment includes a dryer sized for relatively high throughput during intensive campaign-period operation (beet pulp arrives at high moisture, often 75-80% for fresh pressed pulp, though the buyer's pre-pressing process at their sugar facility reduces this somewhat before it reaches RICHI's line — incoming moisture to the pellet line is expected around 55-60%), ring die pellet mill, and cooler.

Pellet diameter target is 10mm, standard for beet pulp pellets in the European feed market.

One design consideration that came up during specification: because the line may sit idle for extended periods between campaign seasons, RICHI's team discussed equipment storage and maintenance recommendations with the buyer for the off-season periods — relatively standard practice for seasonal equipment, but worth flagging during the design phase so the buyer's facility planning accounts for appropriate indoor storage or weather protection for equipment during downtime months, since the line won't be housed in a climate-controlled environment year-round given the buyer's existing building's seasonal usage pattern.

Fabrication is on track, with delivery targeted to align with the upcoming beet campaign season, giving the buyer adequate time for installation and commissioning before the intensive operating period begins.