Panda Biotech announces the launch of commercial operations at its flagship site Panda Hemp Gin

DALLAS–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Panda Biotech™ announced today that commercial operations have officially begun at the Panda Hemp Gin, its industrial hemp processing facility in Wichita Falls, Texas. The 500,000-square-foot facility, situated on 97 acres, is the first of its kind and the largest in the Western Hemisphere, with the capacity to process 10 metric tons per hour of industrial hemp into textile fibers, in tow, in a short-fiber/tow blend, and in nutrient-rich micronized tow. It is a zero-waste process that utilizes all parts of the industrial hemp stalk and operates 100% on renewable energy, making it a paragon of sustainability in the industry.

The Panda Hemp Gin facility is fully operational, and production will continue to increase over the coming months. In February, the complex process of commissioning Panda’s 600-yard processing line and three miles of overhead pneumatic piping—including every piece of equipment for hulling, refining, blending, mechanical cottonizing, bagging and windrow storage, and baling, was successfully completed.

«Panda Biotech’s state-of-the-art industrial hemp processing facility is a major, game-changing achievement for agriculture and industry,» said Dixie Carter, president of Panda Biotech. «As R&D in this field continues to advance, industrial hemp fiber and cellulose will help transform many industries with sustainable goals. Panda’s industrial hemp will play a central role in meeting the global market’s significant demand for renewable processes and products.»

Industrial hemp is considered one of the most versatile raw materials available, with an unmatched variety of potential uses. The Panda Hemp Gin website will focus on providing five lines of hemp-based products, including mechanically cottonized fibers, decorticated fibers, shives (cellulose), a blend of short fibers and shives, and nutrient-rich micronized hemp dust. The numerous applications for each product vary widely, ranging from consumer and industrial textiles, nonwovens, paper products, bioplastics, biofuel, animal bedding, fiberglass substitutes, construction materials such as hempcrete, mulch, insulation, and more.

With a commitment to traceability and the processing of hemp straw grown exclusively in the United States, as well as the provision of a first-of-its-kind crop payment program, Panda’s partnership with the American farming community is at the heart of the operation. Industrial hemp offers a multitude of benefits to growers. In particular, it has been scientifically proven to minimize CO2 emissions, with absorption per acre exceeding that of any forest or commercial crop. Furthermore, hemp requires far less water than most field crops, provides exceptional soil restoration, and requires minimal use of fertilizers, pesticides, and herbicides. Panda is actively contracting with growers for its pay-per-crop program for this harvest, as well as with farmers who may have straw or fiber from previous harvests or the 2024 growing season. Interested growers can contact Panda via the website pandabiotech.com.

«The massive scale of the facility—which can process more than 22,000 pounds of hemp straw bales per hour—is what makes this industrial hemp processing plant unique,» says Scott Evans, Chief Operating Officer at Panda Biotech. «Our straw comes directly from our agricultural partners in Texas and neighboring states, and thanks to our de-hulling process, it is transformed into packaged products—ready for retail or downstream manufacturing applications—in just a few minutes. Panda’s processing equipment and infrastructure are best-in-class.»

For more information, please visit www.pandabiotech.com and follow @pandabiotech on Facebook, Instagram, X, and LinkedIn.

ABOUT PANDA BIOTECH

Based in Dallas, Texas, the privately held company Panda Biotech, LLC is a pioneer in the emerging industrial hemp fiber and straw sector, with 100% U.S.-based ownership, cultivation, and processing. Panda Biotech’s executive leadership has extensive experience in the development, financing, construction, and operation of large-scale infrastructure facilities in the clean energy sector. The company has already successfully completed 22 projects, representing approximately $12 billion in invested capital. Panda Biotech’s first project, the Panda Hemp Gin™, is being carried out in partnership with Aka-Ag, LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of the Southern Ute Indian Tribe Growth Fund. The facility is located in Wichita Falls, Texas. It is the largest industrial hemp processing facility of its kind in the Western Hemisphere.

The text of the press release resulting from a translation must in no way be considered as official. The only authentic version of the press release is the one in its original language. The translation must always be compared with the source text, which will be the legal precedent.

Contact

Beth Gebhard

Senior Vice President, Marketing and Public Relations

[email protected]