In September 2011, the first commercial-scale canola crushing operation plant west of the North American Rockies broke ground in Warden, WA - USA. At full capacity the plant will process 1,100 metric tonnes (MT) of canola seed per day, and is expected to produce approximately 142,500 MT of canola oil and 227,000 MT of canola meal per year. The plant is expected to begin operation by early 2013 and is well-positioned to supply the expandingdemand for canola products on the west coast of the United States. Pacific Coast Canola (PCC), a subsidiary of Legumex Walker Inc., anticipates the plant will employ 35-40 people.
The 12 needed presses will be supplied by HF Press+LipidTech, the world market leader in screw presses, a division of HF Group in Hamburg (Germany). PCC has good reasons: „We were impressed with HF‘s equipment and how it meets our needs. We also appreciate that HF is a global leader in oilseed processing with a proven track record“, explains Marin Landis, investor and media relations at Legumex Walker. Pacific Coast Canola (PCC) invests in the beginning, to avoid failures in the long term: “Early on we felt the best way to be successful in terms of planning and organizing a project like this was to partner with a design-builder and equipment vendors with proven track records of success in similar circumstances. We think we have such a team in place – including HF Press+LipidTech – and that is an important reason why our plant will be successful.“
PCC takes no risk concerning service. The HF Group has locations around the world, and service 24-hours a day, to be always close to the customers needs. The product portfolio of HF Press+LipidTech ranges from individual machines up to complete systems for oilseed pressing and crude oil refining. They also supply presses for animal waste products or special applications like dewatering.
World wide there are not many engineer-teams, with so numerous patents. PCC is convinced: “We think very highly of HF Press+LipidTech; they are an important partner in bringing our project to fruition. They think and build for the long-term and we have found that they do business the same way; those are the kind of partners we want for today and for the years to come.“