Turning Complex Project Plans into a Solid Partnership: How We Work with Product Targeted Omega-3 Projects

When we look at a new Omega-3 plant construction plan, the real headache is never the “price per ton of equipment.”
The real problem is this: your board wants very specific product specs and yields, while the engineering reality is messy, multi-step, and full of trade-offs.

If we don’t align on product targets early on (90% EPA EE vs. 90% EPA&DHA blends, 33/22 vs. 50/20 vs. 10/50, 45/10, 50/10,36/24, 30/20, 10/40, 40/10, 35/10, 30/10, IFOS/GOED-level quality, etc.), we risk over-investing, under-delivering, or locking you into a process that ages poorly.

Agitate that a bit, and you see where plants end up: beautiful stainless steel, wrong product mix, disappointing margins.

The solution—and our daily routine job at Greatwall Process and Control—is to turn those complex project plans into a structured, product-backward roadmap, so that process design, equipment selection, and capex all serve one master: your target Omega-3 portfolio.

In short, we start from your target product specs and yields, work backwards through market, regulatory and quality requirements like the GOED Voluntary Monograph and IFOS certification, map those onto a robust process route (refining, concentration, purification, blending), and then co-engineer an equipment production solution that’s technically sound, economically defensible, and upgrade-ready for future Omega-3 product demands. (goedomega3.com)

That’s the big idea.
If you’re still reading, it’s probably because you’re sitting in the same position as many of our customers: you already know the generic story about fish oil and health benefits, but you need a practical way to go from “we want 25 TPD of refined sardine oil, 30/20, 36/24 and 50/20 concentrates, and a couple of customized blends” to “we have a reliable, validated production line that actually makes money.”

Let’s walk you through how we approach a product-targeted Omega-3 plant project—from first email to final handshake.

Why Product-Targeted Omega-3 Projects Are a Different Beast

Most process projects are capacity-driven.
“Build me 30-50 TPD of refining.” Fine.

Product-targeted Omega-3 projects are market-driven and spec-driven:

• You’re chasing a segment of the global Omega-3 ingredients market, which is already above USD 3 billion and growing at healthy single to double-digit CAGR, depending on the source. (Global Market Insights Inc.)
• You’re building around health claims tied to EPA/DHA, where clinical literature continues to explore cardiovascular and systemic benefits of marine Omega-3s. (British Heart Foundation)
• You’re competing on purity, oxidation level and contaminant profile, where frameworks like the GOED Monograph and programs like IFOS set expectations for peroxide, anisidine, TOTOX, heavy metals and more. (goedomega3.com)

So the game is no longer “install a generic fish oil refining plant and see what we can sell.”
The game is:

“Design a plant that reliably produces this product portfolio, at this cost, with this quality and compliance profile.”

That’s a very different problem—and it forces me to start from the target marketable product side, not the equipment catalog.

Step 1 – Start from the Product Tree, Not the P&ID

When a new customer/project RFQ comes to me—let’s say fish meal and fish oil processing group—the first document to sketch is not a layout. It’s a product tree.

We ask annoying questions like:

• Do you want refined oil only (22–30% EPA+DHA as TG), or also concentrates (e.g. 33/22, 36/24, 50/20, 10/50, customized ratios)?
• Will you target EE form, TG form, or rTG rehardened concentrates for the top grades?
• Are your commercial team targeting of >99%+ EPA or DHA monomer in the future, even if not in Phase 1?

On the quality side, we map your targets to external references:

• Oxidation and contaminants aligned with GOED Monograph limits. (goedomega3.com)
• If you want IFOS-style or other specific pharma. grade messaging on finished products, we consider what that means for bulk oil specs and testing strategy, based on IFOS testing criteria. (Nutrasource)

Out of that, we build a product matrix:

Once this matrix is clear, then let myself touch the process.

Step 2 – Map Product Targets to Process Routes

The product matrix tells us which toolbox we need to assemble.

For a typical fish oil Omega-3 plant, we might combine:

• Refining steps:
  • Degumming/neutralization (alkali refining).
  • Bleaching/adsorption for pigments and polar contaminants.
  • Winterization for wax removal and improved cold stability.
  • Deodorization / deacidification for volatile odor compounds and FFA removal.
• Concentration steps:
  • Transesterification / re-esterification to transform TG to EE or rTG and open the door to higher EPA/DHA concentration ranges.
  • Short-path distillation (SPDU) in multiple stages for removal of volatiles, contaminants and for medium-level enrichment.
  • Urea complexation for strong EPA or DHA enrichment via differential crystallization.
  • Rectification / fractionation columns for fine separation of EPA/DHA cuts. (goldenomega.cl)
  • HPCC (High Performance Chromatography Columns) if ultra-high purities like 97%+ EPA API are in the long-term vision.

For producing the products in your matrix, we map a process route systematically:

• RFO-Sardine: pre-treatment → neutralization → bleaching → winterization → deodorization.
• 30/20-TG: above + controlled winterization(if needed) + 1–2 SPD passes.
• 50/20-EE: EE production + multi-stage SPD + urea or fractionation, depending on your capex/opex appetite.
• 90EPA-EE: EE route + intensified SPD + urea + optional high selective solution with chromatography.

This is where product-targeted thinking pays off.
We can quickly see:

• Which equipment must be shared,
• Which sections need to be modular, and
• Which “future” units (e.g. HPCC) can be reserved as a Phase 2 plug-in rather than forced into Phase 1.

I’m not chasing maximum complexity; I’m chasing maximum alignment with your product roadmap.

Step 3 – Wrap Reality Around Your Raw Material and Market Context

Of course, all these beautiful routes must survive contact with reality.

Two realities, actually:

1. Your raw material.
   Anchovy and sardine oils differ in EPA/DHA and other fatty acids profile and impurity spectrum. Climate change and fishery pressure can influence average Omega-3 content in pelagic species over time. (El País)
   So we look at:
   • Typical EPA/DHA GC profile.
   • FFA range and expected worst case.
   • Contaminant risks (dioxins, PCBs, PAH, MOAH/MOSH, plasticizers, etc.).
2. Your target markets and channels.
   Are you selling bulk concentrates B2B to formulators, or branded capsules to consumers?
   A B2B bulk supplier might focus on meeting GOED and pharmacopeial limits, while a branded consumer line may want IFOS-style “5-star” messaging and batch-by-batch published test results. (goedomega3.com)

As project contractor and equipment supplier, we translate these factors into engineering consequences:

• Higher contaminant risk? → more SPD stages and more robust adsorption systems.
• Highly variable crude quality? → stronger pre-treatment and flexible process control.
• Premium consumer brand? → tighter oxidation targets, better full process points controlling nitrogen blanketing, more rigorous CIP and documentation.

This is the unglamorous part of the job—but it’s what makes sure your plant can actually deliver what your marketing brochure promises.

Step 4 – Turn Feasibility Study into a Joint Engineering Playground

Feasibility studies often get treated like a “pre-sales formality.”
We treat them as a sandbox for joint engineering.

In this phase, We usually prepare:

1. Conceptual PFDs for each main route, showing key equipment blocks and product pathways.
2. Indicative mass balances for your main SKUs: yields, solvent ratios, side product streams.
3. Two or three technical options, for example:
   • Option A: SPDU + urea to 90%+ combined EPA+DHA.
   • Option B: SPDU + rectification/fractionation to 90% EPA-biased blends.
   • Option C: Above + reserved space for future HPCC line.

Each option is benchmarked against your product matrix and the global market context.

For instance, if your commercial team wants a piece of the fast-growing high-purity ingredient segment, we look at where EPA/DHA ingredients are trending in terms of purity and value contribution. (goedomega3.com)

We talk about more than just “cost.”
We talk about:

• How future-proof the option is.
• How steep the operational- expertise will be.
• How easily we can add or modify SKUs later.

This is where the partnership feeling starts: we’re not arguing about line items; we’re co-designing your Omega-3 platform.

Step 5 – Design the Human Side: Training, Documentation, and Validation

A product-targeted Omega-3 plant is a technical instrument.
It only plays nice music if the musicians know how to use it.

That’s why early in the project I already think about:

• Operator training:
  • understanding the “why” behind each step (e.g. why a certain deodorization temperature protects both oxidation and sensory profile).
  • Recognizing when the plant is drifting away from target specs.
• Documentation and validation:
  Many Omega-3 customers are in the nutraceutical or pharma-adjacent space, where IQ/OQ/PQ, data integrity and traceability aren’t optional.
  We sync our design and FAT/SAT procedures with your quality team’s expectations.
• Quality monitoring strategy:
  We align online/inline monitoring and lab testing capacity with the quality frameworks mentioned above (GOED, IFOS, pharmacopeial limits). (goedomega3.com)

In other words: we don’t just ship equipment; we help build the capability to consistently hit your product specs.

Step 6 – Make the Board Presentation Easier (Yes, That’s Part of My Job)

Let’s be honest.
At some point, someone from your team will have to stand in front of a board or investment committee and answer questions like:

• “Why this technology route?”
• “Why this supplier?”
• “Why this capex, and what’s the payback?”

We can’t attend your board meeting (although I’d love the coffee), but we can make it much easier by providing:

• A clear narrative from crude fish oil to product portfolio and market positioning.
• A transparent cost breakdown by process section, not just one big scary number.
• A risk and mitigation overview: scale-up risk, complexity risk, feedstock risk, regulatory risk.
• A sense of how this plant positions you within the broader Omega-3 ingredient market—it’s easier to justify an investment when you can show that the global market is expected to grow strongly over the next decade. (Mordor Intelligence)

When we do our job right, your board sees not a pile of stainless steel, but a strategic Omega-3 production platform.

What questions should you have before committing to a product-targeted Omega-3 plant project?

Here are some of the questions I routinely bring into early discussions (and yes, I’m often the one asking them):

1. Which specific EPA/DHA grades and ratios and yields do we want to produce in the first 3–5 years, and which are “nice to have later”?
2. Are we designing for bulk B2B ingredient sales, branded consumer products, or both—and how do GOED and IFOS expectations change with each channel?
3. What crude oil sources will we actually have, and how stable are they in composition and availability under changing fishery and climate conditions? (El País)
4. Do we want to prioritize EE, TG, or rTG forms, and how does that affect regulatory positioning and customer expectations in our target markets?
5. How aggressively do we need to manage contaminants and oxidation to match global quality benchmarks (GOED limits, pharmacopeial standards, IFOS-style claims)? (goedomega3.com)
6. What internal lab capabilities do we have or plan to build, and what will we outsource to third-party labs for validation and certification? (ResearchGate)
7. What balance of flexibility vs. simplicity do we want—are we okay with a more complex line if it enables a wider SKU portfolio and higher margins?
8. How will this project position us in the global Omega-3 ingredients market over the next 10 years, given expected growth and competition? (Global Market Insights Inc.)

If your supplier isn’t asking you questions at this level, they’re probably quoting equipment, not architecting a product-targeted plant.

More related questions

1. How do we choose between SPD + urea and SPD + rectification for high EPA/DHA concentrates?

Both can work.
In practice:

• SPDU + urea is often attractive when you want strong EPA or DHA enrichment via relatively mature, well-understood crystallization steps. It’s powerful but more solvent-intensive and operator-sensitive.
• SPDU + rectification/fractionation leans more on continuous thermal separation, which can be elegant for large volumes and stable operations, but requires careful design and control to avoid thermal degradation of sensitive omega-3s. (goldenomega.cl)

In a product-targeted project, we simulate both against your product matrix, capex profile and operational capability before recommending one or a hybrid approach.

2. Do we really need to design for GOED and IFOS levels if we’re “only” selling bulk?

Strictly speaking, not every bulk sale requires GOED Monograph or IFOS compliance. But here’s the commercial reality:

• Many serious brands use GOED as a baseline quality reference.
• IFOS, while voluntary, has become a strong marketing signal in some markets. (goedomega3.com)

So even for bulk, I tend to design plants that can economically hit those levels. It gives you optionality and leverage in negotiations.

3. How much does crude oil quality really matter if we have “strong” processing equipment?

A lot.
No matter how fancy your SPDU or chromatography is, starting from heavily oxidized, contaminated, or highly variable crude oil will eat into yield, processing costs, and sometimes produce off-spec batches.

We always encourage:

• Robust raw material specifications and supplier agreements.
• Periodic GC and contaminant profiling to refine your processing strategy. (ResearchGate)

Think of crude quality as the “difficulty level” of your game. The higher it is, the more skill and equipment capacity you need.

4. Can one plant realistically serve both basic refined oil and ultra-high EPA/DHA niches?

Yes—but not with a single “black box.”

In product-targeted projects, we usually design tiered capability:

• A backbone refining and mid-concentration line handling the large volume SKUs.
• A more specialized section (extra SPD stages, urea, rectification, or even HPCC) for high-value low-volume SKUs.

This way, you protect throughput on your bread-and-butter products while selectively playing in high-margin niches.

5. How do global Omega-3 market trends influence process choices?

If the global Omega-3 ingredients market is expected to grow both in volume and value, especially for higher-purity and specialty products, you want a plant that can grow in sophistication over time. (Global Market Insights Inc.)

That often means:

• Designing space and utilities for future modules.
• Choosing control systems and layouts that can accommodate extra stages without ripping everything apart.

I like to say: “Phase 1 should be profitable on its own, but never be a dead end.”

6. How do we balance energy use, solvent use, and product quality?

This is where engineering gets fun (at least for me).

We balance:

• Lower temperatures and shorter residence times (good for quality, more demanding for equipment).
• Distillation and stripping conditions vs. solvent-based purification (energy vs. solvent recovery trade-offs).
• Heat integration opportunities without overstressing sensitive oils.

We often benchmark against best practices used by leading global producers of high-purity EPA/DHA concentrates, who combine process intensification with careful control of thermal exposure. (goldenomega.cl)

7. How important are oxidation and shelf-life considerations in process design?

Extremely.
Oxidation is not just a “lab test,” it’s a design driver:

• It affects equipment configuration, deodorization conditions, nitrogen blanketing design, tank and pipe layouts, and even packaging strategy.
• It’s central to meeting consumer-perceived quality and technical benchmarks like TOTOX limits in GOED and IFOS frameworks. (goedomega3.com)

We treat oxidation as a red line: we design every hot and oxygen-exposed section with it in mind.

8. How do we keep the line flexible enough for new SKUs without compromising current operations?

By modularity and smart flow design.

I’m a fan of:

• Bypass lines and parallel trains for certain key units (e.g. extra SPDU passes).
• Shared upstream refining with diverging concentration paths downstream.
• Clear segregation of “standard” vs “R&D/future” sections.

This lets your commercial team experiment with new SKUs without turning the entire plant into a pilot plant.

Conclusion

As project manager at Greatwall Process and Control, my real job is not to recite a catalog of reactors and SPDUs.

My job is to sit down with you, admit that product-targeted Omega-3 plant projects are complex, and then systematically tame that complexity:

• Start from a clear product tree and market vision.
• Map it to robust, realistic process routes.
• Adapt those routes to your crude quality, regulatory context, and target channels.
• Use the feasibility study as a joint engineering workshop, not a paperwork ritual.
• Design people, documentation and validation into the project from day one.
• Help you tell a compelling story to your board about why this plant is a strategic Omega-3 platform, not just an expense.

If you’re in the phase of sketching process blocks on a napkin and arguing internally about whether you “really need” high-purity EPA or IFOS-grade quality, that’s exactly the moment I like to get involved.

Complex project plans don’t scare me.
They just tell me there’s a serious opportunity to build a solid, long-term partnership—one product-targeted Omega-3 plant at a time.