Study on steam energy efficiency enhancement, cost management and CO2 emissions in the food industry

Malaysia's energy intensity per unit GDP has been increasing since the 1990s, leading to the government's efforts to promote energy efficiency via policies and initiatives such as Energy Performance Contracting (EPC). Additionally, the industrial sector in Malaysia consumed 28 % of total final energy in 2018, placing it as the country's second-largest final energy consumer [1]. This case study focuses on improving energy efficiency in the steam system of an existing plant in the food industry in Malaysia. This work was performed in collaboration with a local Energy Service Company (ESCO) to study the existing steam system, recognize its process requirements and constraints and consequently propose and evaluate retrofit opportunities. These opportunities were evaluated across 3 performance parameters (power output or energy savings, cost savings and CO2 emissions savings). Simulations were performed using the Steam System Modeler Tool (SSMT). The study found that Combined Heat and Power (CHP) was not feasible due to a combination of low steam pressure and flowrate available in the system. However, the study also found that improving condensate recovery coupled with condensate flashing from the high pressure to low pressure header offered the highest increments in overall performance. •Study on steam energy efficiency improvement of a Malaysian industrial plant.•Retrofit opportunities evaluated for energy, cost and CO2 emissions savings.•Condensate recovery and flashing were more attractive options compared to CHP.