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Project 01 · Industrial production
Bentonite granulate production.
A phased production programme for a granulated soil improver that combines bentonite's water-retention properties with documented organic nutrient inputs.
Project thesis
Mineral performance. Organic utility. Industrial repeatability.
The product concept brings together selected bentonite, documented animal manure and straw in a stable, packaged granulate. The aim is to support soil water management and nutrient delivery through a repeatable industrial process rather than a one-off formulation.
The initial market focus is professional: specialist horticulture, nurseries, landscaping, professional growers and agricultural distributors serving sandy-soil and water-management needs. Broadacre applications remain a secondary expansion route.
Operating system
What the project is designed to build.
One integrated production and market-development system, planned for Styria, Austria.
Controlled feedstock
Selected mineral input and documented organic components received, inspected and prepared against defined process parameters.
Stable granulation
A nominal 5-tonne-per-hour line for conditioning, granulation and sizing, with an illustrative annual capacity of 6,160 tonnes at stated operating assumptions.
Traceable quality
Batch records, particle-range controls, packaging discipline and product release checks built into the operating flow.
Professional channels
B2B market development through distributors, professional growers, horticulture, nurseries and landscaping customers.
Why the model matters now
Turn a difficult material stream into a transportable, measurable product.
Tighter storage, nutrient-management and slurry-spreading requirements increase the operating burden of handling untreated manure and slurry. The proposed route captures that pressure as an industrial opportunity: controlled preparation, thermal processing, granulation and packaging convert a difficult input into a stable commercial format.
The result is easier to store, transport, dose and distribute than untreated slurry, while bentonite adds water-retention and soil-conditioning functionality to the organic nutrient base.
Controlled treatment route
Moves material from open-ended storage and field-spreading pressure into a documented, repeatable production flow.
Lower handling burden
Granules replace high-water-volume transport with a denser, baggable product designed for predictable logistics and dosing.
Longer commercial reach
A stable 3–6 mm product can move through distributors, nurseries, horticulture and professional growing channels beyond the immediate farm radius.
More precise application
Consistent particle size and batch data support controlled use instead of variable, weather-dependent slurry spreading.
Existing supply relationship
Ukrainian bentonite with an established commercial route.
The project has an existing commission/consignment raw-material agreement and a strong working relationship with a Ukrainian bentonite mine in the Vinnytsia region, operating outside the active war zone. The commercial model combines this established source with planned buffer stock and alternative European supply options to support continuity as production scales.
Production logic
Eight connected stages from intake to saleable granulate.
The line is designed around controlled material flow, thermal treatment, repeatable particle size and batch-level release.
The completed plant
A compact industrial campus built around clean material flow.
The concept separates raw-material receiving, covered mineral storage, drying and granulation, screening, bagging, finished-goods warehousing and truck dispatch. Enclosed conveyors and local extraction keep the process legible and controllable, while glazed operating areas make supervision and quality checks part of the visible workflow.
- Covered bentonite and organic-input receiving
- Enclosed drying, granulation and screening line
- Dedicated quality-control and batch-release area
- Automated bagging, palletising and loading bays
- Space for buffer stock and phased capacity growth
From raw slurry to managed product
Why granulation improves the operating equation.
High water, narrow radius, variable timing.
- Large transport volume relative to nutrient content
- Storage and spreading tied to weather and field-access windows
- Variable moisture and nutrient concentration
- Greater exposure to odour, runoff and handling losses
Stable format, documented batch, broader market.
- Reduced water burden and more efficient transport
- Metered 3–6 mm granules suitable for packaging and distribution
- Bentonite plus organic inputs in one repeatable product
- Year-round inventory planning and controlled commercial dispatch
Investment architecture
€1.81m directed into production readiness.
The investment structure separates physical line capability, site fit-out, safety and environmental systems, packaging, integration and project contingency.
| Leased-site fit-out | €300,000 |
|---|---|
| Production line | €500,000 |
| Hygiene + environmental systems | €180,000 |
| Bagging system | €130,000 |
| Warehouse + forklift | €90,000 |
| Electrical, laboratory + safety | €50,000 |
| Engineering, integration + installation | €150,000 |
| Contingency | €210,000 |
| Licence provision | €200,000 |
| Total investment | €1,810,000 |
Sources + uses
- Investment
- €1.81m
- Pre-opening expense
- €90k
- Opening cash reserve
- €650k
- Total drawn funding
- €2.55m
- Cash equity
- €1.40m
- Term loan
- €1.15m
- Committed revolving line
- €250k
- Total commitments
- €2.80m
2028–2031 planning model
Revenue, margin and profit progression.
The model combines granule sales and planned raw-bentonite resale. Figures below reproduce the supplied four-year planning case.
| Metric | 2028 | 2029 | 2030 | 2031 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Granule output | 2,000 t | 3,500 t | 4,500 t | 5,500 t |
| Raw bentonite resale | 400 t | 600 t | 800 t | 1,000 t |
| Total revenue | €1,420,000 | €2,488,800 | €3,277,260 | €4,096,263 |
| EBITDA | −€46,680 | €262,451 | €485,000 | €706,287 |
| EBITDA margin | −3.3% | 10.5% | 14.8% | 17.2% |
| Net result | −€328,180 | −€16,937 | €163,775 | €340,359 |
| EBITDA break-even volume | 2,175 t | 2,522 t | 2,705 t | 2,903 t |
€163,775 in the supplied planning model.
€706,287 EBITDA on €4.096m total revenue.
Staffing rises from 10 FTE in 2028 as output scales.
18-month implementation
Stage decisions before capital intensity.
Each phase produces a practical decision point before the next level of commitment.
- Months 1–3
Rights, site + regulatory scoping
Confirm project rights, location fit and the pathway for technical and operating requirements.
- Months 2–6
Pilot, trials + financing
Develop product trials, commercial feedback and the financing package in parallel.
- Months 4–9
Permits + procurement
Complete final technical definition and place key equipment and integration packages.
- Months 7–14
Construction + installation
Prepare the leased site, install the line, packaging, safety and supporting systems.
- Months 13–18
Commissioning + ramp-up
Commission, qualify output and move from controlled batches to repeatable commercial operation.
Project conversation
Discuss production, supply or market cooperation.
TPME Trade s.r.o. is the project sponsor for the supplied planning case.