PeelPioneers

PeelPioneers has commissioned a completely new production facility in Den Bosch for the production of decoloured, dewatered citrus fibre from orange peel. Nuutro managed the project end-to-end: from concept and basic engineering through to full realisation and commissioning. It is one of the most technically complex projects Nuutro has delivered to date, with a project value between €1 and €1.5 million.

The Company

PeelPioneers is a Dutch pioneer in the valorisation of citrus residues from the juice and processing industry. Where orange peels were once considered a waste stream, PeelPioneers sees them as a valuable raw material for functional ingredients including essential oils, pectin, and citrus fibre. Their approach contributes directly to a circular food chain that converts residual streams into high-value products. The new Den Bosch facility marks a significant step in their growth trajectory: production in Son was phased out to make way for this more advanced location.

The Challenge

At the core of the project was the development of a completely new and unique production process for citrus fibre extraction. The peels are first reduced to fibre pulp, after which the fibres are decoloured using isopropanol (IPA) and subsequently separated from the solvent. The end product is a functional binder with high market value. The central technical challenge was designing a production line that is simultaneously hygienic and explosion-proof: the use of IPA makes the entire line subject to ATEX requirements. In addition, Nuutro had to work closely with an external party responsible for the IPA upgrading plant — a separate scope that nonetheless had to integrate seamlessly with Nuutro’s installation. The combination of alcohol processing, residual stream input, and strict hygiene requirements made this a project without an existing reference framework.

Our Approach

Nuutro took full responsibility for the engineering and realisation of the plant. The scope included a CIP installation, a line for reducing citrus peel to fibre pulp, the ATEX-certified decolouring installation with IPA, the fibre-solvent separation line, and the overall plant integration and layout. The plant processes approximately six tonnes of orange peel per hour.

Because the process represented new and uncharted territory, Nuutro used its own workshop to develop and test components before installation. That testing approach is not a cost but an investment: it eliminates risk during the execution phase and accelerates commissioning. Coordination with the external IPA party required precise alignment of interfaces and responsibilities — a logistical and technical complexity that Nuutro managed proactively.

Why Nuutro

Sytze van Stempvoort, director and owner of PeelPioneers, describes the collaboration as follows:

“What makes Nuutro strong is truly thinking along and being constructively critical, combined with an impressive mix of engineering skills and your own workshop for testing. Testing is not just an investment in time and money; it always pays off. Moreover, you have the ability to operate technology-independently and even dare to tackle unknown challenges. This reflects a unique approach to engineering.”

The collaboration with PeelPioneers illustrates precisely what sets Nuutro apart:

• Technology independent — no proprietary process technology to sell, so always the best solution for the client
• Tailored to the project and client — from ATEX design to external party coordination, fully bespoke
• Able to take responsibility — complete turnkey delivery including integration and commissioning

Results & Future

The Den Bosch plant has been successfully delivered and is now operational. PeelPioneers now has a unique production line that transforms orange peel waste into a high-value functional ingredient at industrial scale. The project confirms Nuutro’s position as an engineering and realisation partner for processes that have never been built before. The long-standing collaboration with PeelPioneers, stretching back to the first plant in Son, is a clear example of how Nuutro grows alongside the ambitions of its customers.