INFORM April 2026

30 INFORM APRIL 2026 , VOL. 37, NO. 4

Product In

Product In

Air Extraction

Air Extraction

Heater

Cooler

Bank 1

Bank 1

Bank 2

Bank 2

Bank 3

Dry Cooler

Ambient Air in

(Regeneration)

Wet Air Out

(Regeneration)

Heat Pump

Ambient Air in

Air Heater Fan

Bank 3

Cold Water

Bank 4

Hot Water

Air Dehumidifier

Water Module

Ambient Air in

Bank 4

Bank 5

Chiller

Bank 5

Bank 6

Product Out

Product Out

Full-scale integrated process for oilseed meal treatment showing moving-bed preheating and cooling with closed-loop thermal energy recovery. Source: Solex Thermal Science, AOCS 2025 presentation.

IMPLICATIONS FOR OILSEED PROCESSORS

combined with energy recovery from solids, offers a practical solution. By integrating moving bed heat exchangers, heat pumps, and controlled heat rejection, the process replaces formaldehyde, preserves nutritional value, and reduces primary energy use. For oilseed processors facing similar challenges, this integrated thermal approach provides a scalable and technically sound path forward.

sustainability expectations without compromising feed safety or nutritional performance. By treating thermal energy embedded in solids as a recoverable resource, processors can achieve meaningful efficiency gains within existing facilities. CONCLUSION The transition away from chemical additives in animal feed is accelerating. Regulatory requirements and sustainability pressures are reshaping oilseed meal processing. The Agrifirm installation demonstrated that radio frequency treatment,

Solex technology offered a path to incorporate energy recovery from solids. Solex preheaters, conditioners, and coolers were deployed in more than 70 oilseed processing installations worldwide. These included applications of soybean and rapeseed meal, many of which incorporated energy recovery from solids. The Agrifirm project demonstrated how established technologies could be combined to address regulatory change and

Igor Makarenko is Global Sales Director, Americas at Solex Thermal Science. He can be contacted at igor. makarenko@solexthermal.com.