CE Certification Rotary Dryer in Ukraine

An Agri-Processing Startup Focused on Circular Solutions

The client is a recently established company founded by individuals with backgrounds in agronomy and environmental engineering. Their business model is centered on the circular economy: collecting raw poultry litter from contracted poultry farms, processing it into a safe, stable, and standardized organic fertilizer, and selling it back to crop farmers.

They secured a site with good transport links and planned a processing line that included grinding, drying, pelletizing, and cooling. Their initial capital allocation prioritized the most critical and energy-intensive stage: drying.

The high moisture content of raw poultry litter (often 50-60%) makes it unstable, difficult to transport, and unsuitable for pelletizing or long-term storage. Therefore, their first major equipment purchase was a standalone industrial rotary dryer.

This single-machine investment allowed them to commence operations, producing a dried, semi-finished product that could be stored or further processed, thereby validating their business model and generating early revenue.

The Foundational Drying Stage: Why the Dryer Came First

For this Ukrainian startup, the decision to first purchase a rotary drum dryer was a strategic calculation of risk and process necessity. In a biomass or waste-to-product line, drying is often the gateway operation. Without effective drying, downstream processes like grinding and pelletizing are impossible or highly inefficient. By investing in a high-quality, reliable dryer as a single unit, they could:

1. Immediately Add Value: Turn a wet, problematic waste into a stable, storable, and transportable intermediate product (dried poultry litter), which itself has a market.
2. De-risk Downstream Investment: Prove the drying process and output quality before committing significant capital to pellet mills and bagging lines.
3. Ensure Product Safety and Quality: Proper drying at controlled temperatures is essential for reducing pathogens and stabilizing nutrients, which are key selling points for their organic fertilizer.
4. Build a Modular Operation: Start with a core, heavy-duty module (the dryer) and add other units (mixer, pelletizer) as the business grew, following a scalable, phased approach.

This "dryer-first" strategy was about establishing a reliable and compliant core process from day one.

Selecting the Right Scale for a Regional Operation: The RICHI φ1.5*15 Rotary Dryer

The company planned to service several large poultry complexes in their region, requiring a dryer with substantial capacity but not one sized for a national operation. After analyzing the typical moisture reduction needed (from ~55% to ~15%) and their target daily throughput, they selected the RICHI φ1.5*15 CE certification rotary dryer.

The smaller φ1.2*12 model was insufficient for their planned scale, while the larger φ1.8*18 represented overcapacity for their startup phase and higher energy costs. The φ1.5*15, with its 1.5-meter diameter and 15-meter length, offered the ideal balance.

Its design provides sufficient residence time for the material to be thoroughly and evenly dried using hot air from a biomass-fired furnace (often using wood chips or dried biomass itself).

The CE certification was non-negotiable, assuring them of the machine's compliance with EU safety, health, and environmental directives, which is crucial for both operational safety and the marketability of their final product in Europe.

Technical specifications of this biomass drying equipment:

The Drying Process: From Waste to Stable Resource

The client's drying operation is a key link in a sustainable chain:

• Raw Material: Collected poultry litter with an initial moisture content of 50-60%.
• Pre-drying Preparation: The litter may be roughly broken up or pre-mixed with drier recycled material to improve handling.
• The Drying Stage: The wet material is fed into the rotating drum of the RICHI rotary dryer. As the drum rotates, internal flights lift and cascade the material through a stream of hot gases (typically from a biomass burner), ensuring maximum heat and mass transfer. The rotary drum drying process gently reduces the moisture to a target of 10-15%.
• Post-Drying: The dried, crumbly litter exits the dryer and is cooled. It is now stable, significantly reduced in volume and weight, and ready for the next steps: fine grinding, nutrient fortification (if needed), and pelletizing into a commercial organic fertilizer.
• End-Use: The final pelleted fertilizer is sold to Ukrainian and European agricultural enterprises for use in organic and sustainable crop production, completing the nutrient cycle.

The rotary dryer's role is transformative: it enables the entire value-addition process by stabilizing a perishable, bulky waste stream.

Shipping to the Black Sea: Delivery to the Port of Odesa

Transporting heavy industrial equipment to Ukraine is efficiently handled via its key maritime gateway. The φ1.5*15 rotary dryer was prepared as major project cargo. The large drum was shipped in sections, with the support rollers, drive assembly, and housing crated separately.

The shipment originated from Qingdao Port. For imports into central and western Ukraine, the primary and most efficient port is the Port of Odesa on the Black Sea. RICHI's expert logistics planning and thorough documentation ensured all components arrived together and cleared customs smoothly for delivery to the plant site.

A Partner's Perspective: The Technical Director's Feedback

After several months of continuous operation, the company's Technical Director shared his observations: "Launching a processing business like this, you need your core equipment to be absolutely reliable. The RICHI rotary dryer has been that reliable core. The CE certification gave us confidence in its safety and build quality from the start.

It handles the variable nature of poultry litter—sometimes clumpy, sometimes dusty—without issues. The moisture reduction is consistent, which is critical for our pelletizing quality later on. We run it almost continuously, and it performs exactly as per the design parameters.

The support during installation was thorough. For a startup betting on a new market, having this level of dependable industrial drying technology has been invaluable."

The investment’s impact was foundational:

1. Enabled Business Launch: Provided the essential capability to process raw material, turning a concept into a functioning business.
2. Ensured Product Quality: Delivered consistent drying results, which is the first step in producing a high-quality, standardized fertilizer.
3. Demonstrated Compliance and Safety: The CE mark facilitated smoother interactions with local authorities and built trust with future customers in the EU market.
4. Proved Operational Viability: The dryer's reliable performance validated the technical and economic feasibility of the entire project plan.

The RICHI Advantage: More Than a Machine, a Partnership for Growth

RICHI's engagement was tailored to support a new venture in a specialized field:

• Process Engineering Support: We advised on the optimal temperature profile for drying poultry litter to preserve nutrients while achieving pathogen reduction, and on integrating the dryer with their chosen biomass heat source.
• Compliance and Documentation: We provided the full CE technical file, including risk assessments and manuals, which was crucial for their plant's regulatory approvals.
• Operational Training and Spare Parts Planning: Training focused on safe operation, thermal efficiency optimization, and routine maintenance. We helped them establish an initial stock of critical wear parts to ensure uninterrupted running.

The Versatility of the Rotary Dryer: A Workhorse for Multiple Industries

It's worth noting that the CE certification rotary dryer is a remarkably versatile piece of industrial drying equipment. While this project focuses on poultry litter, the same core technology is adept at handling a vast array of materials. This includes:

• Agricultural: DDGS (Distillers' Dried Grains with Solubles), forage crops, beet pulp.
• Biomass: Wood chips, sawdust, bark, energy crops like miscanthus.
• Industrial By-products: Sludge, mineral concentrates, filter cakes.
• Other: Certain types of inert minerals and chemicals.

Clients choose RICHI dryers not just for their robust construction and CE certification, but for their efficiency, adaptability, and the direct heat transfer that ensures thorough, uniform drying. The rotating drum design, combined with customizable internal flights and air-flow systems, makes it suitable for both delicate and abrasive materials.

Drying as the Engine of a Sustainable Enterprise

For this Ukrainian company, the RICHI φ1.5*15 was far more than a CE certification rotary dryer. It was the essential first piece of technology that unlocked the value in agricultural waste, enabled a circular business model, and set the stage for sustainable growth. It stands as proof that targeted investment in core processing equipment can catalyze environmental innovation and economic opportunity.

Is Drying the Key to Your Next Project?

Whether you are processing agricultural residues, biomass for fuel, industrial slurries, or organic wastes, efficient and reliable drying is often the critical step that determines the viability and profitability of your operation.

RICHI Machinery designs and builds a comprehensive range of industrial rotary dryers, from standard single-drum models to complex triple-pass systems. Our CE certified drying solutions are engineered for durability, efficiency, and compliance with international standards.

If you are planning a project where moisture control is crucial, start a conversation with the drying experts at RICHI. Contact us today to discuss how our rotary dryer technology can be customized to dry your specific material efficiently and reliably, forming the dependable heart of your processing line.