A $1 million compact production line for "Golden Lemon" in Brazil: 40 t/d AI sorting + TVR concentration + forced circulation jam evaporation, producing clear juice, fruit puree, jam, and dried granules, with 0.40 MWh low electricity consumption + 0.2 MW biogas CHP, 0.22 t CO₂-e/t fruit, and a payback period of 0.59 years; 12 weeks for key installation, BRC/GCC dual certification, and one-click direct access from traditional juice extraction to digital factory for GCC and EU shelves.

**Investment scale:** USD 1 million (≈ 1 million US dollars)
**End products:** NFC lemon juice, 65°Brix concentrated juice, <1 mm fruit puree, 40% Brix jam
**Origin Location:** São Paulo, Brazil (high temperature and humidity, year-round fruit supply)

I. Market and Raw Material Background (from a $1 million perspective)
- Production: 1.2 Mt of lemons for the 2024 season in Brazil, with a farm price of USD 0.28 kg⁻¹, acidity level of 6-8%, and harvested throughout the year;
- Export window: USMCA zero tariff access to North America, with a premium of USD 2.8 L⁻¹ (for long-lasting packaging) for EU "reduced sugar" NFC;
- Local demand: The Brazilian cold beverage market is growing at an annual rate of 8%. Fruit puree has entered the baby food supplement market, and fruit jam has entered the baking chain.

II. Product Program of 1 Million US Dollars (40 tons of lemons per day, 300 days per year)
| Product | t/d | Packaging | Market |
| NFC Clear Juice 12°Brix | 16 | 1 L Sterile Brick 12 000 pph | Local/Export Retail |
| 65 °Brix concentrated juice | 6 | 55 gal sterile bag 0.6 t h⁻¹ | EU compounding |
| Fruit puree <1 mm | 8 | 200 kg sterile bag 0.4 t h⁻¹ | Baby food supplement |
| Jam 40% Brix | 4 | 200 g glass jar 200 jar/min | Baking/Hotel |

III. Complete Citrus Processing Plant Equipment - Functional Module with a Value of 100 Million USD

1. Receiving and preprocessing module (USD 0.20 M)
- 40-ton concrete receiving silo + overhead spray pre-cooling (35 → 20 °C);
- Rolling bar cleaning machine, 5 t/h, dual rolling bars + high-pressure spray, water recycling rate of 80%;
- AI visual sorting machine 3 t/h — color + IR, ±1 mm accuracy, collision recognition accuracy 94%;
- UV sterilizer UV-C 254 nm, dosage 30 mJ/cm², microbial reduction by 1 log.

2. Crushing-juicing-refining module (USD 0.20 M)
- Hammer crusher 5 t/h + screw press, juice yield 65%, low speed <100 rpm;
- Disc centrifuge with a capacity of 5,000 ob/min, achieving turbidity ≤2 NTU, preparing for juice clarification/concentration;
- Resin debittering column, -25% tannins, maintaining natural color.

3. Enzymatic hydrolysis and clarification module (USD 0.10 M)
- Enzymatic hydrolysis tank 2 m³×2, 45 °C, pectinase 30 ppm, 90 min;
- Resin debittering column, -25% tannins, maintaining natural color.

4. Concentration and Blending Module (USD 0.15 M)
- 2-effect TVR evaporator, 1 t H₂O h⁻¹, steam 0.32 kg/kg H₂O, 65 °Brix endpoint;
- Forced circulation evaporator, 0.3 t/h (jam), viscosity 9 Pa·s, 42 °Brix, no burning;
- Online sugar and acid meter ±0.1 °Brix, automatic acid/essence replenishment.

5. Sterilization and filling module (USD 0.15 M)**
- Tubular pasteurization at 98°C for 30 seconds (clear juice); UHT at 121°C for 30 seconds (concentrate);
- Scraper sterilizer (jam) at 95 °C for 5 minutes, with 9 Pa·s, no burning;
- 1 L sterile brick filling machine, 12,000 pph, H₂O₂ dry sterilization, packaging material loss <0.8%;
- 200 g glass jar, 200 jar/min, nitrogen filling, O₂ <1 %.

6. Drying & By-products Module (USD 0.10 M)**
- Belt dryer at 80°C, with temperature control in sections, moisture content of 8%, and steam waste heat recovery;
- 0.2 MW biogas cogeneration (fruit residue + wastewater), steam cost reduced by 30%, CO₂-e reduced by 0.22 t/t fruit residue.

7. CIP & Automation Module (USD 0.10 M)**
- 3-tank CIP, alkali recovery membrane, chemicals -25%;
- Allen-Bradley PLC + EtherCAT, HMI in Portuguese; remote VPN maintenance, predictive fault triggering accuracy of 92%;
- Modularization of key projects: skid-mounted delivery, with on-site flanges no more than 8, and an installation cycle of 12 weeks.

IV. Performance and Cost (in millions of US dollars)
- Comprehensive yield: 1 t of lemons → 0.45 t (juice + pulp + sauce) + 0.35 t for fresh sale + 0.2 t dried grains
- Energy consumption: 0.40 MWh/t fruit (after CHP deduction)
- Water consumption: 0.85 m³/t fruit (80% recycled)
- Investment: USD 1 M, key cycle of 12 weeks, one-click delivery for BRC & GCC certification.

V. Market and Finance (in millions of US dollars)
- Annual sales revenue: USD 8.4 M (juice 3.6 M + jam 1.4 M + fruit puree 1.6 M + dried fruit 1.8 M)
- EBITDA：≈ USD 1.7 M (20 %)
- Simple recycling: 1.0 M ÷ 1.7 M ≈ **0.59 years** (including carbon emission reduction benefits)
- Risk: fluctuation in the real, hedge: USD-denominated contracts + biogas steam hedge for energy.

VI. Summary
Through the compact integration of "AI sorting + TVR concentration + biogas CHP + key engineering", a fully automated lemon production line worth $1 million has achieved a leap from traditional juice extraction to a digital factory, transforming "Brazilian yellow lemons" into high-value-added "golden juice and crispy slices", with one click directly reaching the shelves in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) and the European Union (EU).