Dallas-based Panda Biotech has announced plans for the Panda High Plains Hemp Gin, an industrial hemp processing facility that will be located in Shallowater, Texas. The plant will use advanced, high-capacity decorticating equipment — Panda Biotech Hemp Gins™, which are smaller versions of proven technology used throughout Europe and Asia for decades — to separate the fiber and cellulose from the stalk that will be converted into textile-grade fiber and premium cellulose. Panda will process only hemp stalks harvested before the seed and flower matures to ensure high fiber quality.
The company reports it has secured the rights to buy a 255,000-square-foot processing facility in Shallowater. Panda Biotech anticipates processing more than 130,000 tons of industrial hemp grown in Texas on an annual basis.
“Hemp fiber and cellulose will help manufacturers meet the needs of today’s eco-conscious consumers who increasingly require environmentally friendly products and services,” said Scott Evans, executive vice president, Panda Biotech.
January/February 2020
