Better late than never – Panda Biotech has announced construction of its Panda High Plains Hemp Gin in Wichita Falls, Texas is complete and commissioning is well under way.
In September 2020, Panda Biotech announced it has chosen Wichita Falls as the location of what would be the nation’s largest hemp processing facility. At that point the firm expected partial operations to commence in the first quarter of 2021, with full production anticipated by the first quarter of 2022.
But as the old saying goes, no plan survives contact with the enemy. Various events – including the pandemic – threw a bunch of spanners into the works.
The current commissioning process is a crucial exercise before the hemp gin begins commercial operation, which will (hopefully) occur in the first quarter of next year.
“The Panda Hemp Gin will process 10 metric tons of industrial hemp per hour to produce textile-grade fiber, hurd, short-fiber hurd mix, and a nutrient-rich co-product that will be pelletized,” says the company. “The facility is expected to be the largest hemp decortication center in the Western Hemisphere and among the largest in the world.”
“Decortication” refers to the separation of hemp fibers from the hurd (the woody core) through a mechanical process.
“Each piece of the Panda Hemp Gin production line, including the three miles of overhead pneumatic duct lines, refining, blending, mechanical cottonization, hurd bagging and storage, baling, and more, must be individually started, checked, balanced, and commissioned,” says Panda Biotech Executive Vice President Scott Evans.
Situated on a 97 acre campus, the Panda High Plains Hemp Gin is a 500,000 square foot facility that will use technology eliminating the use of water and chemicals entirely, and utilizes only renewable energy – wind and solar power. The facility will only process hemp straw grown in the USA by American farmers.
Panda Biotech has partnered with traceability company Oritain to develop what the company says is the world’s first scientifically traceable hemp fiber for the global textile industry. The firm states it is actively signing contracts with producers to grow hemp feedstock for the 2024 growing season, and is purchasing hemp fiber that has already been harvested or processed. Panda says its producers also receive “tested and proven” hemp seed at no cost.
