Brian Hess’ background in design and development included projects for the US Military, NASA, and automotive products. Today, at the helm of WEST-1 Logistics, he’s engineering and innovating production methods in the hemp and cannabis extraction space, including a revolutionary method for reusing – and monetizing – spent biomass that otherwise creates an expensive disposal issue for large scale extractors. “Almost every extraction plant I’ve worked with recognizes there is an issue relative to the disposal of spent biomass. Everyone agrees that a solution needs to be built into the program from the onset, however entrainment of solvent in the spent biomass and developing a market for the material has had limited available options,” This was the driving factor supporting further development that would eliminate entrained ethanol from the extraction cycle in the WEST-1 systems. By combining mechanical compression, deep vacuum and air pressure, WEST-1 extraction systems remove 95.5% of the solvent from the biomass during the extraction process. Methods by which the spent material is used in building products and/or bio energy at the extraction site make up part of the solution package delivered by WEST-1.
Driven personally by the potential for the broader national and global implementation of cannabinoids in the fight for cancer, over the last 8 years, Brian Hess has worked to scale WEST-1’s extraction and post-processing systems for maximum impact. Scalable systems that go beyond the lab or pilot plant size, which are common in the cannabis industry, require full facility planning, automation and robust material preparation, including a plan to dispose of, or better yet utilize the spent biomass. Working directly with Point 3 Farma in Colorado, Hess, and a full team of engineers and experienced facility professionals have developed advancements in the extraction cycle. A series of processes involving deep vacuum, low temperatures, mechanical compression and air pressure are integral features of the WEST-1 plant design. Concurrent with the extraction cycle the solvent and targets are removed from the vessel for further processing, this design reduces the entrainment of solvent in the biomass, serving to lower operating cost, increase active yield ratios and produce a dry biomass waste that has the potential to be used as a base material in several other products.
The results are evidenced in the Point 3 Farma plant in Center, Colorado – due to come on line in the next few months, with a processing capability of 50,000 pounds of industrial hemp per day. This is just phase one of the two planned phases of extraction and post processing facility construction. Point 3 Farma serves as an example of efficiency and leadership in the hemp industry, and Hess places high value in being a part of this company’s evolution.
Additionally, over the last 18 months, Hess has developed an ultra-clear nano emulsified formula for cannabinoids, which makes up the active ingredient in ALT, a novel product with a unique delivery system for both THC and CBD.
You can expect further innovations coming to market in late 2020 from WEST-1 as the development of their mobile water based extraction systems make their debut.
Currently, Hess works with several international firms consulting in this field and has projects in Saint Vincent, Barbados and Trinidad developed with Rare Earth Global, with home offices in the UK.
Learn more about West-1 Engineering at www.west1logistics.com
Learn more about Rare Earth Global at www.rareearthglobal.com
Learn more about ALT at www.altlife.com
Learn More about Point 3 Farma at www.point3farma.com
