Pilot project of Protein Pilot Plant
Project description
Aker BioMarine AS (Norwegian Antarctic Krill fishing and biotech company) is a leading supplier and manufacturer of omega-3 krill oil and the only company whose value chain ranges from fishing krill to processing the omega-3 krill oil. The processing of krill omega-3 oil gives a protein rich residual product, which is used as ingrediens in among others fish food. In order to refine this residual product into a high value food ingredient, Aker BioMarine has for a couple of years in the laboratory/R&D scale developed and refined a novel food krill protein hydrolyzate powder product (called INVI™). INVI™ is aimed at the sports nutrition segment and differentiates from others by being a clear and easily soluble product with a unique amino acid composition with all the essential amino acids.
Aker BioMarine wanted to produce INVI™ on a large scale, but was challenged by the fact that their existing laboratory/R&D scale facility was not designed with a focus on scalability for commercial production. Therefor, they wished to establish a pilot plant, which in terms of capacity could be used for product launch to the market as well as process optimization, development and verification for the larger factory. Process Engineering’s role in the project was to prepare a pilot project of the process plant for protein hydrolyzate as well as to assist with technical expert knowledge within design, construction and rebuilding of factories for production of food ingredients.
The process
The protein hydrolyzate process is very different from the omega-3 krill oil process, and therefore Aker BioMarine needed the technical expert knowledge within:
- Scale of R&D process to a pilot/commercial process design.
- Process and hygienic design requirements for production of high valued food ingredients.
- Technical assistance (on the customer side) in establishing design basis and requirement specifications for tender of EPC contract of the process.
- Tender and procurement of supply systems (steam, refrigeration, air, water etc.)
- Assistance in relation to hygienic and process requirements for the production facility (building).
In the project, Process Engineering has delivered knowhow in particular:
- Process design, including preparation of Process Flow Diagrams, production schedules for design and calculation of factory capacity, scaling of supply systems and estimate of staff.
- Tender material, including preparation of general and specific requirement specifications for all unit operations incl. process integration and supply systems etc. (Installation and User Requirement Specifications).
- CAD-design, including preparation of Block Flow Diagrams, tender P&I Diagrams, machine plans, product and crew flow plans.
- Technical tender evaluation, including review of tender, clarification and challenge tender, dialogue with customer for internal clarification, assessment and score tender, dialogue regardring commercial conditions etc.
Through the project, we had close cooperation with the customer. The project was handled through our Norwegian office, Process Engineering Norge AS, but performed from our office in Aarhus, Denmark. When it has been necessary, we have been involved in the daily work at the customer’s office in Oslo.
The factory is a plant where the process plant consists of high technological unit operations such as hydrolysis, separations and spray drying.
Service and scope of the project
Our service and the scope of the project include:
- Process Flow Diagram
- Mass balance
- Clarification of design criteria
- Technology recommendations
- Coordination of automation solution (control system)
- Tender material
- Tender evaluation
- Building footprint
- Machine plan
- The process plant’s consumption figures
- Installation design specification