Equipment supply
It is essential to have the right tools available to achieve stable and safe production with any high-pressure technology. Natex is not just a partner to develop a new and unique process but mainly a supplier of high-quality equipment at every required scale, from R&D to the biggest plants in the world.
The focus is very much on considering the daily operation of a plant which will be in use for 30 years or more. Therefore, we believe that the optimization of consumption figures and the usability for the operator are essential for the long-term success of the technology.
R&D plants
Research plants start at 2L effective volume for solid material extraction and a design pressure of 550 bar. These small-scale plants are built in stock and are already designed to allow the exploration of new ideas without limitations due to the equipment. This mainly focuses on the stability of the process and collection of solid extracts which form during depressurization in the CO2 and often block equipment and limit its usability. Also, the operational pressure of ~500 bar has been found to be feasible for scale-up because it often represents the most economic point between increasing the investment and reducing the Operational Expenditures.
Pilot / small production plants
The technological and economic success of a project is highly dependent on the value of the processed raw material and the scale of production. High-value products in the pharmaceutical and cosmetic industries might be processed at scales which are not feasible for products in the food and beverage industry. Therefore, the definition of pilot scale at Natex refers to plants which are still feasible to prefabricate in-house and ship on skids. This design allows for testing before shipping, fast installation at the site, and easy organization of the project structure.
Industrial scale equipment
Natex is an experienced provider of industrial CO2 processing equipment with an extensive list of unique and large solutions. These include the world’s biggest pharmaceutical CO2 extraction plant, the world’s biggest hops extraction plant, and the world’s biggest cork cleaning plants, just to name a few. Due to the economy of scale effect and the possibility to optimize and automate all parts of a plant for a dedicated application, these projects have the potential to reduce the overall costs to an absolute minimum. This leads to economic processes even for lower-value products. Such plants are typically delivered in single pieces and assembled at the site directly during the erection of a dedicated building. These solutions can include special ways of material handling like pneumatic transportation systems or gravity transport. Our team of specialists is skilled at making big projects a big success.
