AGROREFINER COMMENCES OPERATION OF HEMP EXTRACTION FACILITY FOCUSED ON ORGANIC CBD
Proprietary Process Yields High Quality, Trusted CBD Source
NEW CASTLE, DE, June 16, 2020 – AgroRefiner, LLC announced today that it has commenced commercial operation of the first phase of a commercial scale, ethanol-based, CBD extraction facility.
AgroRefiner will produce a range of organic CBD products using organically grown hemp procured from farms employing sustainable farming practices in order to produce some of the world’s finest CBD (cannabidiol). The product line-up will include THC-free distillate, isolate, CBN, and CBD A.
The facility, located in Delaware, employs an innovative hemp extraction and distillation sequence developed for AgroRefiner by consulting chemical engineer Mark Scialdone, Ph. D. This automated, state-of-the-art extraction facility utilizes the first circulating ethanol, closed loop design for CBD production.
“In today’s marketplace where there is currently limited regulation, no transparency, and low end-user confidence or understanding in CBD products or the processes behind them, AgroRef will be a trusted partner for best-in-class extraction,” said Howard Matz, CEO of AgroRefiner. “AgroRefiner will work only with certified organic farms employing sustainable agricultural processes and will employ superior extraction methods to supply premium products to our customers.”
Nic Shafer, VP of Marketing at Precision Extraction Solutions, said: “We are proud to have been chosen by AgroRefiner to help design their state-of-the-art facility and support their equipment needs. The AgroRef team has deep scientific understanding of the cannabis plant, which will quickly position them as an industry-leader in THC-free products.”
State of the Art Facility
This first phase of the project will have the extraction capacity to process approximately 75 tons of dried hemp per year to produce CBD which will be distributed on a wholesale basis to manufacturers of consumer goods and for medical applications.
In anticipation of U.S. FDA regulations, AgroRefiner is working to obtain Good Manufacturing Practice certification and certification as an organic CBD producer by the USDA.
For the new Delaware facility, AgroRefiner made a substantial capital investment in Delaware to finance improvements to an existing warehouse structure, employing local engineering, general construction, electrical, plumbing and HVAC trades. At full operating capacity, the first phase of this new venture will provide permanent employment for as many as 15 skilled production technicians.
The assemblage of extraction equipment is exclusive to AgroRefiner and has been procured from leading U.S. CBD equipment manufacturers. AgroRefiner’s four-step process utilizes a proprietary, integrated, closed loop hemp ethanol extraction and solvent recovery system in order to isolate the extract. The CBD extract is purified in the subsequent distillation and crystallization steps. An estimated 97% of the ethanol used in the closed loop is recovered and reused.
AgroRefiner has developed an innovative process to produce distillate as THC free. The refined products will be distributed on a wholesale basis to manufacturers of consumer goods and medical applications.
CBD is one of many cannabinoids, or molecules, produced by the cannabis family. Unlike tetrahydrocannabinol (THC, the primary psychoactive element in marijuana), CBD is non-psychoactive, meaning it does not have a strong effect on cognitive brain activity and does not cause the "high" associated with marijuana. CBD is a specific phyto cannabinoid made up of at least 113 identified cannabinoids and accounts for up to 40% of the plant’s extract. In 2018, clinical research on CBD included preliminary studies of anxiety, cognition, movement disorders, and pain.
*Editor’s Note: Photos available upon request
About
AgroRefiner, LLC is an advanced industrial hemp processing company located in Delaware, generating seed-to-sale organic Cannabidiol (CBD), Cannabigerol (CBG), and Cannabinol (CBN) distillate and isolate at scale, using proprietary processes to manufacture CBD for sale to producers of consumer goods and medical applications demanding the highest quality from a trusted source. AgroRefiner, one of the first hemp extraction facilities to be located in Delaware, is licensed as a Domestic Hemp Processor by the Delaware Department of Agriculture.
# # #
