Drying Reinvented: The mission to transform Sustainability across industries

Published on 2024-12-03

Startup Story

Listen the full podcast or read the article below!

Luis Fiuza, COO of BBKW Drying Solutions, reveals game-changing solar-powered technology that slashes energy costs by 80%, redefines drying processes, and scales sustainability from microalgae to medical cannabis globally.

 

 

Our journey began as aromatic herb producers, grappling with the challenge of drying products efficiently without incurring prohibitive energy costs. Existing methods relied on high-temperature processes that not only consumed vast amounts of energy but also stripped away the potential for competitive pricing. Determined to find a better way, we developed a groundbreaking technology centered on a low-temperature drying process. By harnessing solar energy through our patented BBKW solar walls and repurposing maritime containers into modular drying rooms, we revolutionized the drying process. Sun radiation is converted into dry air within our solar walls, which is then circulated inside the chamber at temperatures between 20°C and 40°C. This method slashes energy consumption by up to 80% compared to conventional systems reliant on resistances or steam. Additionally, our solution includes dehumidifiers and air conditioning for nighttime operations, ensuring minimal energy usage. We further integrated IoT technology to enable remote monitoring and control, providing detailed drying reports for every cycle—an unprecedented level of precision and efficiency in the market. Our projects unfold in three distinct phases to ensure tailored solutions for every client. First, we conduct an in-depth analysis with clients to define key parameters such as temperature, humidity, and the desired quality of the final product. Once these specifications are finalized, we move into the pre-installation phase, where we construct the modular drying rooms in our facilities. This involves assembling the solar walls, controllers, and drying equipment within the recycled maritime container. The next phase is on-site installation, where we deploy the system at the client’s production facility, integrating the solar walls and activating the drying unit. The final stage involves ongoing support, where we assist clients with initial drying cycles, fine-tune parameters for optimal performance, and ensure they can operate autonomously using our IoT-enabled software.

In cases where a modular drying room isn’t required, such as when a client already has an existing warehouse, we adapt by installing solar walls externally and setting up the drying equipment indoors. Regardless of the setup, our commitment to excellence remains consistent, empowering our clients with state-of-the-art drying solutions that combine sustainability with unmatched efficiency.

 

Transforming Industry Standards with Energy-Efficient Solar Drying

At BBKW Drying Solutions, we target critical challenges in the algae, pharmaceutical, and agri-food industries with our innovative hybrid drying technology. For the algae market, where lyophilization dominates but is costly and energy-intensive, our solar-powered dryers offer a cost-effective alternative with enhanced batch capacity and product quality. In the pharmaceutical sector, particularly in medical cannabis, the high initial investment for drying and curing rooms poses a significant barrier, which we overcome by utilizing recycled maritime containers, cutting costs by approximately 60% compared to traditional setups. Unlike inefficient Air Treatment Units (ATUs), our independent system—with solar walls, dehumidifiers, and precise controls—delivers consistent and superior quality. For the agri-food sector, including aromatic herbs, our dryers reduce energy consumption by up to 80%, ensuring affordability and scalability as businesses grow by simply adding more containers. Across all sectors, our IoT-enabled system allows remote monitoring of key parameters such as humidity and temperature, providing detailed, exportable reports for operational insights. The environmental benefits are profound: for example, drying 100 kilograms of algae costs only €6.30 with our BBKW Black Block dryer, compared to €38 with a lyophilizer, while reducing CO2 emissions from 3,644 kilograms annually to just 750 kilograms. By seamlessly blending sustainability, cost efficiency, and cutting-edge technology, we’re redefining drying standards across diverse industries.

 

Empowering Stakeholders with Versatile and Proven Drying Solutions

Our technology offers significant advantages to a diverse range of stakeholders, from farmers and food processors to pharmaceutical companies. One of the standout features appreciated by all our clients is the integration of IoT into our drying solutions. Agriculture, traditionally less connected to advanced technology, benefits greatly from this innovation. For example, clients can define multiple programs tailored to specific products—say five different aromatic herbs—and seamlessly switch between them as needed. This automation, powered by our algorithm, ensures efficient operation year-round, enabling businesses to diversify their crops and maintain consistent production cycles. Our solutions are not just theoretical; they have been rigorously tested and successfully deployed globally since 2016. A notable example is Nekton, a company in southern Portugal specializing in microalgae. Using our dryer, they achieved exceptional energy savings, enhanced product quality, and precise process control, which even led to the publication of a scientific paper validating the methodology. Another remarkable deployment is in Vietnam, where the climate's intense rainy seasons present significant drying challenges. Our system consistently delivers unbeatable product quality, empowering a producer to expand operations to China and Mauritius. In Romania, a cold and rainy region, our dryers have proven equally effective, enabling a producer to dry mushrooms and superfoods with exceptional results. These case studies highlight the versatility of our dryers, which perform reliably across diverse climates and industries, fostering innovation and growth for all stakeholders.
 

Innovating and Expanding

At BBKW Drying Solutions, stakeholder feedback has been pivotal in refining both our technology and software to meet the diverse needs of industries like agriculture, pharmaceuticals, and food processing. By closely monitoring initial drying cycles and engaging with clients, we’ve continuously optimized our equipment and IoT features, ensuring our solutions perform seamlessly across a wide range of products, from algae and medical cannabis to tobacco and superfoods. However, our journey has not been without challenges. Selling to the agriculture sector, often constrained by limited budgets, requires reliance on government funding and subsidies to support investment in innovative solutions. Moreover, raising awareness about the complexities of drying processes—beyond merely heating a product—is another obstacle we face, as we work to educate global markets on the precision and value of our technology. Looking ahead, our primary goal is global expansion. Having validated the efficacy of our dryers across varied climates in Portugal and through successful installations in countries like Vietnam, South Africa, and Romania, we aim to scale our presence worldwide. We’re also excited to explore new markets, including the tobacco industry, where our technology shows promising potential. Additionally, we are venturing into residential applications with plans to adapt our solar walls to heat homes in Northern Europe, offering a low-cost, energy-efficient solution for cold climates. With these ambitious plans, we remain committed to advancing sustainable drying technologies that empower industries and contribute to a greener future.

 

About the author

Luís Fiúza