Breakthrough for oliveCEPT® in China – the first machine sold to treat Chinese olive oil

China might not be the first country that comes to mind when thinking of olive oil. But China has a growing olive oil production, an area corresponding to that of Andalusia, Spain, is planted in the country, and soon much more olive oil will be produced in the Asian country. Now new technology will be implemented as well to improve the production, the first oliveCEPT® will be in commercial use during 2022.
 

The first oliveCEPT® in China

The first sales order for oliveCEPT® is now signed for China. OptiCept Technologies has entered into a contract with the Chinese olive oil producer LongNan Tianyuan Olive Oil Technology, the agreement applies to an oliveCEPT® model THOR. The machine has been evaluated in China for a while and the results now lead to a sharp sales order. This will be the first installation of oliveCEPT® in China and is expected by OptiCept to be a breakthrough for the technology in the country.

“We are very pleased with this agreement, despite travel restrictions, we have managed to complete this with our Chinese organization at the helm. This is an important breakthrough in the Chinese olive market, which is undergoing strong expansion. Olive trees corresponding to an area of ​​Andalusia have been planted in China and a lot of olive oil will be produced in the country in the near future. Being already in place with our technology gives us a good opportunity to complete more business in China,” says Johan Möllerström, CEO, OptiCept Technologies.

oliveCEPT® THOR - Designed for mid-sized olive oil production with a capacity of 3 t/h.

China - a booming olive oil market

Sales of olive oil have seen strong growth in China in later years, Longnan, in Gansu province, has developed into the largest olive-tree producing area in China. Extra virgin olive oil consumption in China is increasing at a significant pace, particularly in the young generations. Where eating healthier is a strong trend. Domestic production has significantly increased over the last decade, going from about 100 companies in 2000 to close to 2500 in 2018, most of them located in the Gansu province. China is now a huge market for olive oil.

Chinese Olive Oil – How it started

The story of olives started in the 1960s as the Albanian government gifted China more than 10,000 olive saplings, in Longnan the planting of olive trees began in the early 1970s. The area has grown to the largest planting area for olive trees in China and accounts for 80% of the total national production of olive oil.

In 2021 the total output of olive oil in Longnan reached 5,700 tonnes. The climate and soil of Longnan are similar to that of the Mediterranean coast, being located at a latitude similar to Spain and Italy.

The future of olive oil in China

Olive oil is not fully integrated into the food culture in China yet. Other oils for food are still dominant in Chinese households, soybean and rapeseed oils are more prevalent, but just as olive oil swept across many western countries, it’s very likely olive oil will soon be a very dominant part of everyday cooking in China as well.

With new modern technology, China is heading for a more optimized production process and the ability to increase both yield and quality with the help of technology such as oliveCEPT®.

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