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STEAM CONDENSATE: SIMPLE SOLUTIONS

1. Overview

Condensate is a by-product of steam usage. As steam transfers its energy to another

medium (e.g. in a heat exchanger), it loses heat and condenses into hot water. As the

boiler feed water is chemically treated, this pre-heated, pre-treated condensate becomes

an expensive commodity which should be returned to the boiler house for re-use.

Returning the condensate to the boiler house as re-cycled feed water reduces boiler fuel,

top-up water and water treatment costs significantly.

2. Benefits to Site

The energy content of a tonne of condensate at 90C is 315MJ.

Up to 10% of a sites total steam costs may be saved by installing/updating a

condensate return system (on average, the production of a tonne of steam per hour

costs approximately 140,000 per annum).

On an average site using 3 tonnes of steam per hour for 8,000 hours per annum,

returning 80% of the condensate generates an estimated 120,000 per year saving,

broken down as 95,000 in fuel, 15,000 in water treatment and 10,000 in incomingwater costs.

The resulting CO2savings in an average site (above example) is approximately 400

tonnes per year.

3. Ease of Implementation

The installation/extension of a condensate return network does not affect the delivery of

steam to site and therefore has no impact on production.

STEAM CONDENSATE RETURN

Applicable to all sites using steam

HEADLINE SAVINGS

Potential saving of up to 10% of total steam cost

Approximately 120,000 cost savings per year for an average site

Approximately 400 tonnes per year CO2reduction

ENERGY

WATER

WASTE

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Install steam trap monitorswith remote reporting features such that any faults can

be highlighted to maintenance staff before excessive amounts of energy are

expended. If steam trap monitors seem too costly vis--vis the amount of condensate

being returned, the alternative would be to conduct periodic, internal checks of all the

traps, using an ultrasonic leak detector which is a hand-held device and costs as little

as 500.

Install a condensate meter in each main return before it connects to the hot well in

the boiler house.

Should there be any difficulties with returning condensate from the plant due to the

low steam pressure, consider installinga condensate tank with an electric pump (see

examples below).

p089_01.pdf p089_38.pdf