Objective:
A global cocoa processing giant engaged our energy audit services to address two key issues they were facing at one of their plants in Southeast Asia. The primary issue was a critical lack of steam availability for the process, despite the utilization of three oversized boilers that exceeded the required steam demand. The secondary issue revolved around the plant’s aim to reduce fuel consumption.

Solution:
Forbes Marshall’s audit team carried out a detailed study of the plant, understood the process requirements, established the heat mass balance, and carried out a root cause analysis to determine the cause of steam starvation. The process and steam system were also evaluated to identify opportunities to reduce steam consumption and, hence, fuel consumption.

Our audit focused on two key aspects i.e. reducing steam consumption and improving steam generation.

We presented the audit findings to the plant team and worked with them to shortlist which actions would be taken first. We then supported the plant in implementing these recommendations by supplying products and providing technical support and guidance during installation.

Benefits:
a. The plant was able to cater to the steam demand with just one 5 TPH boiler, and two boilers of 5 TPH each were shut down.
b. The condensate recovery factor improved by 38%, which resulted in an improvement in the boiler feed water temperature from 48oC to 61oC.
c. Boiler steam generation capacity increased from 58% to 83% of design capacity.
d. The steam-to-fuel ratio for the boiler house also increased from 11.55 to 12.61.
e. By addressing the health and selection of the steam traps in the distribution network and process, steam consumption in the process was optimized and losses were eliminated.
f. A combined effect of improving boiler throughput and reducing plant steam demand led to an improvement in steam quality supplied to the process.
g. The plant was able to reduce gas consumption from 7,512 to 6,680 m³/day i.e. reduction of 8.4% just through the partial implementation of steam audit proposals.
h. CO₂ emissions were reduced by 416 tons/year.