TITLE:
Enhancing Energy Efficiency through the Redesign of a Steam Condensate Recovery System in a Manufacturing Plant
AUTHORS:
Norafizah Abas, Nurdiana Nordin, Mariam Md Ghazaly, Siti Khadijah Ali, Normaniha Abd Ghani
KEYWORDS:
Steam Condensate Recovery System, Energy Efficiency, Heat Recovery, Industrial Sustainability, Boiler Fuel Savings
JOURNAL NAME:
Journal of Power and Energy Engineering,
Vol.13 No.9,
September
24,
2025
ABSTRACT: Steam boilers are essential for heating in many manufacturing industries. In the plant studied, steam transfers heat to equipment such as blenders, additive tanks, and hot water systems during operation. This process produces condensate, which is nearly equal in volume to the steam supplied. Recovering and reusing this condensate is highly beneficial because it retains heat and reduces water consumption. However, most condensate is discharged directly into drains. This not only wastes the energy originally used to heat the boiler water but also harms the environment by releasing hot water into the drainage system. To address this issue, a condensate recovery system was designed and tested through simulations using Pipe Flow Expert and Festo Fluidsim software. The final system was implemented in a blending plant and featured optimized return pipelines from seven blenders and automated pump control. The recovered hot condensate is collected in a tank and returned to the deaerator for boiler feedwater. Validation through simulation and plant trials showed fuel savings of 15% and overall energy reductions of 30%. These results demonstrate that condensate recovery conserves energy, lowers emissions, and supports sustainable operations in line with UN Sustainable Development Goal 12.