0086-138 3838 9622First granulation trials have started on a 3 t/h organic fertilizer production line in Rwanda designed to incorporate stabilized tea-processing residues and other prepared plant organic materials.
Rwanda has an established tea industry, creating concentrated organic residues at processing facilities.
The new project focuses on moving part of that prepared organic material into a higher-density commercial fertilizer form.
Tea Residues Must Be Prepared Before Granulation
Fresh or wet tea-processing residue is not sent directly from factory floor to fertilizer pelletizer.
Moisture adjustment and biological stabilization are required according to material condition.
Once prepared, the organic material can enter secondary crushing and mixing.
The customer may add other composted plant residues and approved mineral or nutrient ingredients according to product formulation.
No standard mixing percentage is imposed.
This also means the 3 t/h figure applies to the downstream prepared-material production section, not tonnes of fresh wet tea waste generated at the tea factory.
Upstream material can lose significant water and mass before it reaches the mechanical fertilizer line.
First Runs Target 2–4 mm Granules
The customer’s principal horticultural and crop product uses approximately 2–4 mm granules.
That size is intentionally different from the larger granules common in some bulk manure fertilizer projects.
Screening separates the commercial fraction while suitable undersize or oversize material is managed through the return system.
The 3 t/h production target suits a customer manufacturing several higher-value organic-input products rather than only one high-volume commodity grade.
The packing section is configured for 10–25 kg bags serving dealers, growers and horticultural users.
Feed Condition Is Being Adjusted During Commissioning
The first runs are not intended merely to demonstrate that the granulator can rotate.
Engineers are watching how the prepared organic material feeds into the forming section.
If the material is too wet, too dry or too fibrous, granule formation can become unstable.
The crushing and mixing stages therefore need to deliver a sufficiently consistent feed before the granulator can be evaluated fairly.
During commissioning, the team is adjusting prepared-material particle condition, moisture and feed rate rather than trying to compensate for every upstream problem at the granulator.
Screening Return Helps Stabilize the Product
Not all material leaving the granulation section will fall immediately into the customer’s 2–4 mm saleable range.
Fine particles and oversize granules are separated.
Where technically suitable, they can return to the production route.
This reduces raw-material loss and helps the plant maintain a more consistent commercial fraction.
The return load itself must be controlled so recycled material does not overwhelm fresh feed.
This balance is one of the items being checked during longer commissioning runs.
Several Formula Families Are Planned
Tea-derived prepared organic matter is one important component, but the customer does not expect every commercial fertilizer grade to contain exactly the same blend.
Other stabilized plant materials, mineral carriers or approved nutrient ingredients may be included according to product type.
The mixing section therefore needs sufficient uniformity for both bulk organic components and smaller-dose additions.
RICHI Machinery does not determine the fertilizer’s agronomic claims.
The customer remains responsible for formulation, nutrient analysis and local regulatory compliance.
Packaging Reflects a Higher-Value Product Strategy
The customer is not targeting only plantation-scale bulk fertilizer.
Its intended channels include growers, agricultural-input dealers and horticultural users.
For that reason, 10–25 kg bags are more relevant than using one standard 50 kg sack for all products.
Smaller specialty packages can be added later if the customer develops a stronger horticultural retail channel.
The packaging line is being designed around the finished product’s actual bulk density rather than assuming all organic fertilizer granules weigh the same per unit volume.
Current Commissioning Checks
The production team is now checking material flow through the crusher, batching and mixing consistency, granulator feeding, granule-size distribution, screening return, finished-product moisture and bagging accuracy.
Electrical interlocks between these sections are also being tested under load.
Longer runs will be required before the customer can evaluate production stability over an entire commercial shift.
This organic fertilizer production project expands RICHI’s coverage into tea waste fertilizer production line, tea factory residue granulation machine, organic fertilizer plant for tea processing waste, tea by-product compost pellet machine, 3 t/h compost fertilizer line Rwanda, horticultural fertilizer granulation equipment, and plant-based fertilizer pellet equipment.
The next commissioning runs will concentrate on maintaining the 2–4 mm saleable fraction over longer operating periods rather than only producing short batches of acceptable granules.
