White copra and cashew kernels without smoke
How a coconut and cashew processing unit can dry 2 tonnes of coconut meat and 2 tonnes of cashew kernels a day in a closed-loop heat pump dryer, and what it saves against briquette-fired kilns.
▶Video: Heat pump dryers for food and agri products
V08 · 2–2.5 minClosed-loop drying of spices, fruit, fish, grain and more
Video coming soon01Problem statement
- Smoky, dark copra. Kiln-dried copra picks up smoke and darkens, which lowers oil quality and price compared with white copra.
- Mould and aflatoxin. Slow or uneven drying lets mould grow on the meat, which spoils oil and can make it unsafe.
- Kernel scorching. Overheated cashew kernels turn brown and fall to a lower grade, even if only a few trays are affected.
- Losses between fuel and process. Burning briquettes in a boiler or heater and distributing the heat loses a quarter or more of the fuel's energy before it reaches the process.
- Compliance, safety and handling. Fired equipment brings boiler inspections, fuel storage and unloading, flue emissions and an attendant on every shift.
02Use case
The reference unit makes edible copra for coconut oil and processes cashew, drying about 2 tonnes of fresh coconut meat and 2 tonnes of kernels a day. Copra is dried on racks in batches of about two days, and kernels are dried before peeling in borma-type cabinets.
| Product | Drying | Basis | Water removed, kg/day | Conventional heat, kWh/day |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Coconut meat to copra | Air 60–65 °C | 2,000 kg/day fresh meat, 52% → 6% | 979 | 1,762 |
| Cashew kernels before peeling | Air 60–65 °C | 2,000 kg/day kernels, 9% → 4% | 104 | 188 |
| Total | 1,083 | 1,949 | ||
Conventional hot-air dryers use about 1.8 kWh of heat per kg of water removed. That figure is the baseline the savings are measured against.
03P&ID
Tags: HP heat pump, TK tank, SG steam generator, P pump, PHE plate heat exchanger, TCV temperature control valve, TIC temperature indicating controller (panel), TT temperature transmitter, MT moisture transmitter, PT pressure transmitter, LT level transmitter, FS flow switch, NC normally closed. Process fluids are heated through their own exchanger, coil or jacket.
04Solution
System description
- 1 × SE-AA-DR-50 (50 kW) heat pump drying module, removing about 1,083 kg of water a day in roughly 19 running hours.
- The briquette or shell-fired kiln dryer stays connected behind a normally closed valve as standby.
- A closed-loop heat pump dryer holds clean air at 60–65 °C with low humidity across the whole chamber.
- Copra racks and kernel trays fit trolleys that move between the existing loading area and the dryer.
- With no flue gas in the drying air, copra comes out white and kernels keep their colour.
Selected equipment
| Model | 1 × SE-AA-DR-50 |
|---|---|
| Heating capacity | 50 kW each, 50 kW total |
| Dehumidifying | about 58 L/h total (pro rata to the published 12–120 L/h range) |
| Drying air | rated 70 °C, 75 °C maximum |
| Refrigerant | R134a |
| Ambient | −5 to 43 °C |
| Water removed per kWh | about 2.4 kg |
Ratings from the Sunniva TDS 2026 data sheets.
Control philosophy
TIC-201 holds air at 60–65 °C for copra and slightly lower for kernels. A return-air humidity sensor sets the dehumidifying duty and moves the batch into a finishing stage. The batch ends on a target return-air humidity or set time.
05Energy saving and ROI
Change any input to match a customer's site. Defaults are typical Indian prices for October 2026. The installed cost is a placeholder; replace it with the actual quotation.
| Existing | Heat pump | |
|---|---|---|
| Daily consumption | – | – |
| Annual energy cost | – | – |
| Cost per tonne of wet product | – | – |
| CO₂ per year | – | – |
06Benefits
White copra
Smoke-free drying gives white copra, which sells at a premium for edible oil.
Less mould risk
Even, continuous drying brings meat below safe moisture quickly in all weather.
Better kernel grades
Steady air temperature avoids scorched trays and keeps more kernels in the top grades.
Heat recovered from the moisture
The evaporator condenses water out of the air and the condenser puts that latent heat back into the drying air, so about 2.4 kg of water leaves per kWh of electricity.
Closed loop, clean product
Air recirculates inside the chamber. No dust, smoke or outside humidity reaches the product, whatever the weather.
Solar-ready
Running hours can be placed in daylight so rooftop solar supplies much of the electricity, which also cuts CO₂ further.
07Engineering pointers
Site data to collect
- Coconuts and cashew handled per day
- Moisture in and target moisture out
- Present kiln or borma drying time
- Copra grade and buyer requirements
- Present fuel or electricity use and monthly bill
- Sanctioned electrical load and spare capacity
- Space for the heat pumps and storage, with service access
Design notes
- Oil and residues. Coconut and cashew release oils that coat coils. Fit filters before the coils and clean them regularly.
- Even loading. Split coconut cups should be loaded meat side up in a single layer so air reaches every piece.
Service and warranty
Sunniva has supplied 5,000+ heat pumps since 2012, with nine service technicians across India, including remote sites such as Leh. All components carry a one-year warranty.
Talk to us
White copra and cashew kernels without smoke
How a coconut and cashew processing unit can dry 2 tonnes of coconut meat and 2 tonnes of cashew kernels a day in a closed-loop heat pump dryer, and what it saves against briquette-fired kilns.
▶Video: Heat pump dryers for food and agri products
V08 · 2–2.5 minClosed-loop drying of spices, fruit, fish, grain and more
Video coming soon01Problem statement
- Smoky, dark copra. Kiln-dried copra picks up smoke and darkens, which lowers oil quality and price compared with white copra.
- Mould and aflatoxin. Slow or uneven drying lets mould grow on the meat, which spoils oil and can make it unsafe.
- Kernel scorching. Overheated cashew kernels turn brown and fall to a lower grade, even if only a few trays are affected.
- Losses between fuel and process. Burning briquettes in a boiler or heater and distributing the heat loses a quarter or more of the fuel's energy before it reaches the process.
- Compliance, safety and handling. Fired equipment brings boiler inspections, fuel storage and unloading, flue emissions and an attendant on every shift.
02Use case
The reference unit makes edible copra for coconut oil and processes cashew, drying about 2 tonnes of fresh coconut meat and 2 tonnes of kernels a day. Copra is dried on racks in batches of about two days, and kernels are dried before peeling in borma-type cabinets.
| Product | Drying | Basis | Water removed, kg/day | Conventional heat, kWh/day |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Coconut meat to copra | Air 60–65 °C | 2,000 kg/day fresh meat, 52% → 6% | 979 | 1,762 |
| Cashew kernels before peeling | Air 60–65 °C | 2,000 kg/day kernels, 9% → 4% | 104 | 188 |
| Total | 1,083 | 1,949 | ||
Conventional hot-air dryers use about 1.8 kWh of heat per kg of water removed. That figure is the baseline the savings are measured against.
03P&ID
Tags: HP heat pump, TK tank, SG steam generator, P pump, PHE plate heat exchanger, TCV temperature control valve, TIC temperature indicating controller (panel), TT temperature transmitter, MT moisture transmitter, PT pressure transmitter, LT level transmitter, FS flow switch, NC normally closed. Process fluids are heated through their own exchanger, coil or jacket.
04Solution
System description
- 1 × SE-AA-DR-50 (50 kW) heat pump drying module, removing about 1,083 kg of water a day in roughly 19 running hours.
- The briquette or shell-fired kiln dryer stays connected behind a normally closed valve as standby.
- A closed-loop heat pump dryer holds clean air at 60–65 °C with low humidity across the whole chamber.
- Copra racks and kernel trays fit trolleys that move between the existing loading area and the dryer.
- With no flue gas in the drying air, copra comes out white and kernels keep their colour.
Selected equipment
| Model | 1 × SE-AA-DR-50 |
|---|---|
| Heating capacity | 50 kW each, 50 kW total |
| Dehumidifying | about 58 L/h total (pro rata to the published 12–120 L/h range) |
| Drying air | rated 70 °C, 75 °C maximum |
| Refrigerant | R134a |
| Ambient | −5 to 43 °C |
| Water removed per kWh | about 2.4 kg |
Ratings from the Sunniva TDS 2026 data sheets.
Control philosophy
TIC-201 holds air at 60–65 °C for copra and slightly lower for kernels. A return-air humidity sensor sets the dehumidifying duty and moves the batch into a finishing stage. The batch ends on a target return-air humidity or set time.
05Energy saving and ROI
Change any input to match a customer's site. Defaults are typical Indian prices for October 2026. The installed cost is a placeholder; replace it with the actual quotation.
| Existing | Heat pump | |
|---|---|---|
| Daily consumption | – | – |
| Annual energy cost | – | – |
| Cost per tonne of wet product | – | – |
| CO₂ per year | – | – |
06Benefits
White copra
Smoke-free drying gives white copra, which sells at a premium for edible oil.
Less mould risk
Even, continuous drying brings meat below safe moisture quickly in all weather.
Better kernel grades
Steady air temperature avoids scorched trays and keeps more kernels in the top grades.
Heat recovered from the moisture
The evaporator condenses water out of the air and the condenser puts that latent heat back into the drying air, so about 2.4 kg of water leaves per kWh of electricity.
Closed loop, clean product
Air recirculates inside the chamber. No dust, smoke or outside humidity reaches the product, whatever the weather.
Solar-ready
Running hours can be placed in daylight so rooftop solar supplies much of the electricity, which also cuts CO₂ further.
07Engineering pointers
Site data to collect
- Coconuts and cashew handled per day
- Moisture in and target moisture out
- Present kiln or borma drying time
- Copra grade and buyer requirements
- Present fuel or electricity use and monthly bill
- Sanctioned electrical load and spare capacity
- Space for the heat pumps and storage, with service access
Design notes
- Oil and residues. Coconut and cashew release oils that coat coils. Fit filters before the coils and clean them regularly.
- Even loading. Split coconut cups should be loaded meat side up in a single layer so air reaches every piece.
Service and warranty
Sunniva has supplied 5,000+ heat pumps since 2012, with nine service technicians across India, including remote sites such as Leh. All components carry a one-year warranty.