Material Balance and Energy Analysis of a Vegetable Oil Refinery in Kano State

Accurate material and energy balance analysis is fundamental to the efficiency optimisation and environmental compliance of edible oil refining operations. This study performs steady-state material and energy balance calculations for the refining unit operations of a medium-scale groundnut oil refinery in Kano, North West Nigeria. Plant data including feed compositions, flow rates, operating temperatures, pressures, and utilities consumption were collected over a four-week period through direct measurement and plant control room records. Unit operations analysed included degumming, neutralisation, bleaching, and deodorisation. Material balances were constructed for each unit operation using Microsoft Excel, and energy demands were calculated using thermodynamic data from open-source chemical engineering databases. Analysis revealed that the neutralisation stage accounted for the highest oil losses at 2.3% of feed, primarily due to soap stock formation and neutral oil entrainment. The deodorisation stage consumed the greatest thermal energy input at 480 MJ per tonne of oil processed. Overall refining loss was 6.8%, above the industry benchmark of 4.5 to 5.0% for modern continuous refineries. Recommendations for loss reduction include improved centrifuge performance in the neutralisation stage and heat integration between the deodoriser hot distillate and incoming bleached oil streams. The study provides a baseline data framework for an energy efficiency improvement programme at the facility and serves as a practical model for similar plants in North West Nigeria. Keywords: material balance, energy balance, vegetable oil refining, groundnut oil, Kano