EFB Pellet Production Line
Why build EFB pellet production line?
EFB stands for Empty Fruit Bunch. After palm oil mills extract palm fruits for oil pressing, the leftover fibrous stalk clusters are known as EFB. Traditional methods of treating them have created severe problems: stockpiling EFB in plantations decomposes and releases methane that pollutes the air, while open burning produces heavy black smoke.
Capacity
1-90T/H
Diameter
6–12mm
Length
20–40mm
CV（kcal/kg）
4500
Nowadays, EFB can be extruded into high-density fuel pellets via pellet mills. The calorific value of EFB pellets reaches 4,200–4,900 kcal/kg, comparable to regular coal, with low ash content and ultra-low sulfur content, making it an excellent clean biomass fuel. For this reason, numerous EFB pellet plants have been built in Malaysia and Indonesia in recent years. EFB pellets are consumed by local power plants and exported to Europe, Japan and South Korea.
EFB Pellet Video Tour
Are you wondering how to fully and efficiently recycle various palm waste materials? Our professional EFB pellet production line can process palm fronds, empty fruit bunches, palm fiber, palm leaves and palm bark into premium biomass pellets with high calorific value and low ash content for clean combustion.
Full EFB Pellet Production Line Process
The biggest difference between EFB pelleting and ordinary wood shaving pelleting lies in the first two stages. Due to EFB’s excessive moisture, long tough fibers, dedicated pretreatment is mandatory before crushing and pelleting.
01
Raw Material Pretreatment
Fresh EFB from the palm oil mill arrives at 50–65% moisture. We run it through screening to remove stones, sand, and debris—protecting downstream equipment from unnecessary wear.
02
Shredding
Long, stringy EFB fibers—up to 200 mm—go through a heavy-duty shredder or hammer mill. The goal: reduce them to 3–5 mm particles so they feed evenly into the pellet mill.
03
Drying
This is make-or-break. Moisture must drop from 60% to 12–18% before pelleting. We use rotary drum dryers with precise temperature control—too dry and the pellet won’t bind; too wet and it falls apart.
04
Pelletizing
The heart of the line. Our ring-die pellet mills, built with forced feeders (non-negotiable for EFB’s low bulk density), compress the dried fiber into dense cylinders. EFB’s natural lignin acts as a binder—no additives needed.
05
Cooling
Fresh pellets exit at 80–90°C. They pass through a counter-flow cooler, bringing them down to ambient temperature. This step hardens the pellet surface and prevents cracking during storage or shipping.
06
Screening & Packaging
A vibrating screen separates fines and oversized pieces—which get recycled back into the line. Finished pellets go to automatic bagging (15–50 kg bags or ton bags), ready for container loading.
EFB Pellet production line equipment list
Let’s walk through the actual equipment lineup – the shredders, dryers, pellet mills, coolers, screens and packaging machines that make EFB pelleting work. Each piece is chosen for palm waste.
Palm leaf shredder
| Main Power | Hammers Quantity |
| 75-220 KW | 20-32 pcs |
Palm leaf crusher
| Capacity | Power |
| 0.5-6 T/H | 22-110 KW |
Hammer mill
| Capacity | Main Power |
| 0.6-8 T/H | 37-220 KW |
Palm leaf drum dryer
| Capacity | Rotation Speed |
| Customizable | 3-12 r/min |
EFB pellet mill
| Capacity | Main Power |
| 0.2-4 T/H | 22-250 KW |
Cooler
| Capacity | Main Power |
| 1-40 T/H | 1.5-2.2 KW |
Vibrating screen
| Capacity | Main Power |
| 3-40 T/H | 1.5-5.5 KW |
Automatic packaging machine
| Speed | Main Power |
| 6-12 Bags/Min | 1.1-5 KW |
Core Advantages of This Production Line
EFB-specialized design: EFB’s high moisture, tough fibers and oil content cannot be handled by standard wood pellet lines. From shredding to pelletizing, every module on the EFB pellet production line is tailored specifically for EFB’s tough, fibrous nature.
Heavy-duty pretreatment system: Dedicated EFB shredders and cutters process full-meter fruit bunches into fiber segments suitable for pelleting.
High-capacity drying system: Powerful dryers reduce moisture from above 70% down to around 15%.
Wear-resistant pelleting system: EFB fibers cause severe abrasion to ring dies and rollers; RICHI uses thickened wear-resistant alloy steel ring dies.
Modular construction: Flexible combination of all modules from pretreatment to packaging.
Full turnkey service: Complete coverage from layout design to on-site installation and commissioning.
Global Case Details
See how we’ve helped palm mills across 60+ countries turn EFB waste into revenue. Real projects, real results, real savings.
Indonesia Palm Kernel Shell & EFB pellet production line
India
Malaysia Complete EFB pellet production line
India
Thailand Palm Trunk & Empty Fruit Bunch Pellet Plant
India
Colombia PKS and EFB pellet production line
India
Nigeria Palm Waste Biomass Pellet Turnkey Project
India
Papua New Guinea Palm Waste Pellet Manufacturing Line
India
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Customized Solution Design
EFB pellet production line configuration varies drastically based on raw material conditions: fresh EFB and pressed EFB differ in moisture and oil content, requiring different equipment setups. RICHI customizes layouts matching your exact feedstock.
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How to Choose EFB Production Equipment
Choosing EFB pellet production line equipment isn’t about specs on paper. We’ve fixed too many ‘wrong’ lines to know the truth: start with your feedstock, your site, and your energy – not a glossy brochure.
Our delivered EFB pellet production line
This Malaysian EFB pellet production line started with a short email in April 2022: “Raw material is oil palm EFB – please quote.” It took nearly three years of discussions, feasibility
studies, and actual material testing before the contract was signed on February 14, 2025. Total equipment investment: $249,220. The client, a seasoned plantation manager, was
sitting on over 15,000 tons of EFB per year from his mill – and paying good money to dispose of it. His goal? Turn that liability into a business.
A customer from Malaysia
“When I first contacted RICHI in 2022, I only wanted a pellet machine. They showed me the bigger picture – carbonization. They tested our EFB, tailored the line, and now I see a profitable, sustainable business ahead. A pleasant collaboration!”
Project Goals
· Set up a mid‑sized EFB pellet line (1.5–2 t/h) that fits local operating conditions.
· Add a carbonization step to turn standard pellets into biochar pellets with higher energy value.
· Sell locally to industrial boiler users first, then target export markets like Japan and South Korea – both actively sourcing certified biomass and biochar.
· Keep the line simple to maintain and robust enough for Malaysia’s tropical, humid environment.
The Challenge – EFB Is Never Easy
EFB is not wood. It’s stringy, bulky, and wet – 60–65% moisture straight from the mill. Its high silica content wears out hammers and dies faster than you’d expect. Plus, the client’s existing mill building had limited ceiling height, so we had to design a compact layout that fits within his current footprint. Every piece of equipment had to justify its space.
Key Equipment Supplied
For $249,220, the client received a fully integrated, PLC-controlled line built specifically for EFB processing:
EFB shredder and fiber breaker, three-pass rotary drum dryer (energy-efficient, corrosion-resistant for tropical use), hammer mill with cyclone for fine grinding, ring-die pellet mill (1.5–2 t/h capacity), counter-flow cooler, vibrating screener for fines removal, continuous carbonization furnace, belt and screw conveyors, automatic bagging scale, PLC automation control panel
Raw Material Mix
The client put together a flexible recipe to keep production stable and reduce supply risk:
| Component | Proportion | Why It’s Used |
| EFB (empty fruit bunches) | 70% | Primary source – abundant and free from his own plantation |
| Palm pressed fiber | 15% | Easier to pellet, improves mechanical durability |
| Coconut shells | 10% | Adds calorific value and hardness to the final pellet |
| Sawmill residue | 5% | Helps stabilize pellet quality and consistency |
This balanced blend boosts pellet density while cutting dependence on any single feedstock – a smart move when dealing with seasonal variations.
Projected Returns
At 12,000–14,000 tons per year, the financial outlook is strong:
· EFB pellet price in Malaysia: $70–90/ton
· Carbonized pellet price: $120–150/ton (local and export)
· Feedstock cost: close to zero (plantation waste)
· Expected payback: 2–3 years
Once carbonized pellets start moving into Japan and Korea, margins expand further. The client also gains a carbon credit angle – biochar production helps reduce emissions, which appeals to premium buyers and green investors alike. In our experience, that’s where the real long-term value sits.
Why EFB Pellets Are the Next Big Thing
Southeast Asia generates over 50 million tons of EFB annually—Indonesia and Malaysia account for the lion’s share.
Indonesia now mandates biomass co-firing in coal power plants, creating guaranteed domestic demand. The ASEAN Energy Ministers’ Council has set a 65% agricultural waste utilization target by 2030. Japan and Korea imported 2.4 million tons of Southeast Asian biomass pellets in 2025—up 18% year-over-year. The global EFB pellet machine market is projected to hit $6.9 billion by 2033, growing at nearly 12% annually.
We’ve seen first-mover advantage pay off. One Malaysian company signed a 10-year supply contract with Japanese buyers—and needs 20 production lines just to meet it. That’s the kind of demand pull we’re talking about.
Who are we?
RICHI Manufacturer Co., Ltd., established in 1995, is a professional manufacturer integrating R&D, manufacturing, design and installation of complete sets of feed machinery engineering, complete sets of biomass pellet engineering, steel silo engineering and automation control.
Certifications & Honors
RICHI has obtained numerous international authoritative certifications, including CE, ISO9001, SGS, German TÜV, Russian RTN, and French BV, and holds 23 patents. The company has been recognized as a Henan Provincial High-Tech Enterprise, a Zhengzhou Municipal “Specialized, Refined, and Innovative” SME, and a member of the Henan Provincial International Trade E-commerce Association.
60,000㎡+
production base
23+
Patents obtained
30+
Years Of Experience
2000+
successful projects
Product System & Global Service
RICHI has developed a diverse and comprehensive product system, covering 15 major series and over 200 products, including feed pellet mills, wood pellet mills, organic fertilizer pellet mills, aquaculture extrusion extruders, and cat litter pellet mills. This system can comprehensively meet the needs of various feed production and biomass pellet processing.
Leveraging a comprehensive international marketing network, its products are sold in 131 countries and regions worldwide, with over 2000 projects implemented and annual exports exceeding 100 million RMB, serving customers globally.
