LATEST TREND IN ENERGY CONSERVATION AND 

SUGAR MANUFACTURING 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Submitted by 

G.V. Raman
S. Ramesh
A. Muralee

 
 
 
 
 
SEPTEMBER 2011 
 
 
 
 

AVANT-GARDE ENGINEERS AND CONSULTANTS (P) LTD

(AN ISO 9001:2008 ORGANISATION)

No. 68A, Porur Kundrathur High Road, Porur

Chennai - 600 116, India
Tel: + 91 -44 -2482 8717/ 18/ 19/ 20
Fax: + 91 -44 -24828531
avantgarde@vsnl.com
www.avantgarde-india.com
CONTENTS 

Synopsis 1

Introduction 1

Sugar Plant Electrical Energy Conservation 4

Sugar plant Thermal Energy conservation 14

Adoption of new Sugar plant machinery and

19
process

Water conservation in Sugar Plants 21

Sugar Cane Water circuit 22

Conclusion 23

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  Engineers and Consultants (P) Ltd
Synopsis
Energy conservation will contribute to the better management of steam, power, fuel and
water management in the Sugar Industry. Sugar Industries use steam at low pressure for
sugar processing. Some of the Sugar plants still use medium pressure steam for sugar
processing. Process steam utilization is exceeding 50% on Cane for sugar manufacture in
some of the sugar plants in India and there are possibilities of reducing the process steam
consumption to a level less than 35% steam on cane. The power utilized for the process
exceeds 32kW per ton of cane crushed in some of the sugar plants in India whereas it is
possible to reduce the power consumption to about 24kW per ton of cane crushed. Most of
the sugar plants in India are operating high pressure co-generation power plants to increase
their profitability and viability, which makes it necessary for these plants to optimize/reduce
the process steam and power consumption. Energy needs are increasing day by day in India
and this ever increasing demand can be meted out by means of energy saving as much as
possible. “Energy Saved is energy generated”. This paper presents the measures adopted in
the Indian Sugar Industries for reducing Auxiliary power consumption by effectively using
variable frequency drives for different applications. This paper also brings out the steam
consumption reduction possibility in the process area of the sugar industries. The steam and
power reduction measures that could be adopted in the sugar plants are factory specific and it
is necessary to have a detailed study of the sugar factory and come up with the possible steam
and power reduction areas for adoption. This paper also presents the possibilities of water
conservation in the sugar industry.

1.0 Introduction: Today the Sugar Industry is viewed as Energy Industry as all the
products and bye products are potential sources of energy. Sugar cane is a rich
source of energy and the energy ratio for input to output is very high for sugarcane
than for any other agricultural crop. Sugarcane, being a renewable crop gives a lot of
renewable energy resulting in reduction of green house effect. Energy conservation in
the sugar industry will contribute to steam, power, fuel and water management.
Presently, lot of heat and energy are used during processing in heating and cooling,
evaporating and concentrating the juices and intermediate sugar products. Some
factories use medium pressure steam for sulphur burning, pan washing, sugar drying,
melting and molasses heating and centrifugal station. Many sugar factories use a
large quantity of power per ton of cane for sugar processing. The economic viability
of a sugar factory increases with the installation of high pressure co-generation plant
and export of surplus electric power to the grid thereby bringing an additional source
of revenue to the sugar plant. There is a need for the sugar factories to reduce their
steam and power consumption in order that the revenues by export of surplus power is
increased, thereby the sugar factory will be competitive in the market for the sugar
production. It is a well known fact that sugar cane contains about 70% of water and
still many sugar factories draw huge quantity of fresh water for processing. Such
sugar factories are saddled with large quantity of effluent. It is possible to effectively
utilize the water in a sugar factory. The following paragraphs highlight the latest
changes in machinery and equipment in the sugar industry that has led to saving of
power and steam required in sugar manufacture.

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2.0 Sugar Plant Electrical Energy Conservation
In Sugar Mills, Reduction in Specific Power consumption increases Power Revenue.
Electrical energy consumption can be reduced by installing Energy Efficient
Equipment, correct sizing of the equipment or reducing loss in the energy
transmission.
Some of the Energy Efficient Equipment suitable for Energy Efficiency in Sugar
Mills are discussed here.
2.1 Cane Diffuser

In general juice extraction in a sugar factory is carried out either utilizing Diffusion
technology or milling technology. The milling technology is more prevalent in India
compared to the Diffusion technology even though, of late, there are some plants
adopting diffuser system. The major electrical energy consumption section in sugar
mill is Juice Extraction Plant. In the standard 2500 TCD milling plant, the power
consumption is 1705 kWH whereas in 2500 TCD Diffuser plant power consumption
in 1200 kWH. The reduction in power consumption is 505 kWH.

Diffusion technology is commonly used in Australia and African countries. The

diffusion technology is energy efficient comparing to the milling technology. But in
India, the technology did not gain greater acceptance during its introduction period
itself. This is because; diffusion technology depends upon better cane preparation and
the plant automation. In diffusion system cane preparative index should be 90+ for
juice leaching in the diffuser. At the time of introduction of diffuser in India (during
1980’s), the cane preparation equipments could only give a lower preparatory index
and since automation was not well developed, most of the plants adopted only milling
system. However presently two factories have adopted Diffuser system for energy
conservation purposes.

There will be power consumption reduction in the diffuser plant compared to

conventional milling plants. Typically, for a 2500 TCD sugar plant it has been
observed that the diffuser system power is about 505kWH lower than a corresponding
milling plant system. It should also be noted that the RME will be higher in the
diffuser plant compared to the milling plant.

Advantages of Cane Diffuser

• Increase in extraction
• Reduction of re-shelling of rollers
• Sanitation improvement (higher temperature maintained in diffuser reduces sugar
loss due to bio chemical inversion)
• Increase in available bagasse on cane since vacuum filters are not used for filter
mud separation
• Reduction of oil and grease in effluent
• Reduction of electrical power consumption.
• Avoidance of a building for the juice extraction system

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 View of Diffuserr Plant

2.3 Variable Frequency

F D
Drive

In the convventional Suugar Mills, various eq quipments are

a operatedd in variable speed.
Generally in
i Indian suugar factories, speed variation
v is by
b eddy currrent drivess, whose
efficiency is
i around 60% at 80% % operating speed. Moost of the puumps are ru un under
reduced caapacity by throttling the t valves. Here Eneergy efficieent, variablle speed
equipment can be installed and thhis reduces electrical energy
e consuumption by y at least
30%. VFD D can be insttalled in thee following equipment to conservee electrical energy.
e

• Cane Carrier,
C
• Feeder table,
• Raw Juuice/Diffuser Juice Pum mping,
• Sulfur burner
b Air-CCompressorrs,
• Muddy Juice and Filtrate
F Pum
mps
• Clear Juuice Pumps,
• ID,FD anda SA Fanns of the boiiler
• Feed water and Feeed water traansfer pump
ps,
• A Centrrifugal drives,
• Sulfur melt
m pumpinng to the Suulfur burnerrs,
• Hot andd cold air bllowers,
• Dust caatcher bloweers,
• Vacuum m Filter drumm drive,
• Injectioon water pummps etc.

2.4 Energy Effficient Geaars

The transmmission efficciency of thee enclosed worm

w and worm-whee
w l gear is abo
out 60%
and that of spur wormm and worm--wheel drive is about 50%.5 Replaacing the inefficient
reduction system with energy effiicient enclo osed helical gear or plannetary gear reduces
the energy transmissioon loss. Insttalled poweer and power consumpttion can be reduced.
r
Some of thee places in which
w energgy efficient gears, can be
b installedd are given below:
b

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and Consultants (P) Ltd
 • Feeder table,
• Cane Carrier,
• Mill
• Milk of lime stirrers,
• Crystallizers drives,
• Molasses and magma pumps,
• Pug-mills and Magma Mixers, etc.

2.5 Cane Unloading

Harvested cane from the field is being fed to the cane carrier by EOT cranes and
feeder tables. Grab type un-loaders, which were used for feeding the cane to the
feeder table/carrier from the vehicles, lead to frequent kick loads. Nowadays
hydraulic grabs and sling system are being used in the sugar factories for unloading
the cane on to the feeder table/ carrier. Hydraulic tipplers have been introduced in the
northern part of India for cane unloading on to the carrier which is giving trouble free
operation. The hydraulic tippler reduces the power requirement of the cane unloading
area. At present, the rotating table type hydraulic tipper is being used in sugar
factories which help unloading to be faster compared to conventional hydraulic tipper,
where the positioning of the vehicle and unloading takes time.

ROTATING TABLE HYDRAULIC TIPPLER HYDRAULIC TIPPLER

2.6 Feeder Tables

Feeder tables are used to store the cane and feed it on to the cane carrier continuously
and uniformly. These feeder tables were driven by constant speed induction motor
coupled with Eddy current coupling and conventional gear boxes with open gearing,
to vary the feeding surface speed, till recently. Nowadays Variable Frequency Drives
in combination with shaft mounted planetary gear system is used for energy
conservation. This system reduces the power consumption. Typically for a 6000 TCD
plant using 7m x 8m feeder table, the installed power reduces from 22kW to 15kW for
the feeder table drive.

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 Feeder Table Drive Arrangement

2.7 Cane Carrier

Cane carriers in most of the sugar factories in India are driven by squirrel cage
induction motors with eddy current coupling for speed variation, with conventional
gearbox and open gears for speed reduction.

Nowadays conventional motor with eddy current coupling is replaced by ACVF

drives with planetary gears for speed reduction. By this arrangement one third
electrical power gets saved.

ACVFD Motor with Planetary Gearbox for Cane Carrier Drive

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2.8 Cane preparation

Many sugar plants in India are using kicker, leveler/chopper, cutter and
Fibrizer/shredder for cane preparation prior to milling. The average power
consumption with this system works out to about 65 kW to 70 kW per ton of fibre.
Presently, we have tried the installation of a single cane preparatory system in the
form of inline Shredder which consumes less power compared to the other system.
The inline shredder which is located right on the cane carrier has a carding drum and a
feed drum located prior to the Shredder as a single unit. This system does not require
knives for the cane preparation. The carding drum and the feed drum level the cane
and feed it to the shredder and this system consumes only about 55kW to 60kW per
ton of fibre thereby there is power saving in the preparatory system. This system also
gives long fibres without fine preparation.

Inline Shredder with Carding Drum & Feed Drum

2.9 Milling Tandem with Two roller mills:

Various type of mills are used in the sugar plants in India as per the various designs
adopted by the manufacturers, like vertical head stack, inclined head stack, auto
setting, self setting mills etc. Normally conventional mills are having three rollers
with feed, top and discharge rollers along with an under feed roller. The conventional
mills are having trash plate to convey the bagasse from first compression to second
compression in the mills. Usually the static trash plate consumes about 15% to 20%
of the mill drive power. During the traveling of bagasse a lot of extracted juice in the
compressions zone will be reabsorbed by bagasse due to improper drainage in the
mills.

Top

Feed Discharge
Juice drainage

Trash Plate

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 Presently, in India, the two roller mill system is becoming more acceptable in the
sugar factories. These mills are not like our olden days crusher the typical
arrangement of two roller mill is as shown below.

 TOP
Feed

Bottom  Re-absorption
Juice drainage Limiting Device
 

In earlier days mills were driven by steam engines (14% thermal efficiency), later by
steam turbine drives (35% thermal efficiency) drives, which are very low efficiency
drives. Nowadays these drives are gradually getting replaced by energy efficient (90%
and above) DC Drives/ACVFD Motors along with planetary gear boxes. ACVFD
motors are most suitable for mill drives because of their own advantages.

For steam turbines power transmission system for mills, three stage gearing systems
were used i.e., high speed reduction gearbox, slow speed reduction gearbox and
bigger size open gearing arrangements. Total gearing efficiency in this system was
around 80.0% only. After introduction of electrical drives the first stage high speed
gearbox is completely eliminated and two stage speed reduction efficiency of 82.0%
was achieved. At present planetary gearbox eliminates slow speed gearbox and open
gearing arrangement and its efficiency is around 95%.

ACVFD Motor with Planetary Gearbox for 36” x 78” Two

Roller Mill

For a 3500 TCD plant, the milling tandem having four numbers of two roller mills
with the installed power of 430 kW ACVFD motor with foot mounted planetary (four

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 stage) gearbox is sufficient, whereas the same capacity sugar plant having three roller
mills of 36” x 78” size with conventional gearing system will require 600kW motor.

In the two roller mill trash plate is eliminated and there will not be any hydraulic load
on mill roller journals. Hence the power consumption in the milling will get reduced
thereby saving energy in mill plant.

View of Two Roller Milling Tandem

The figure below shows the two roller milling tandem with driving arrangement of
ACVFD motor, foot mounted planetary gearbox with flexible rope coupling operating
in a 3500 TCD sugar plant.

2.10 Inter Rake Carrier:

The inter rake carrier in the milling tandem are driven by constant speed motor, speed
variation is effected through eddy current coupling and power transmission is by
single stage worm gearbox and open gearing. In India, this system is getting replaced
by ACVFD motor and planetary gearbox for power saving.

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 Foot Mounted Planetary Gearbox Shaft Mounted Planetary Gearbox
With ACVFD Motor for Inter with ACVFD Motor for Short
Rake Carrier Distance Inter Rake Carrier

2.11 Crystallizers:

Massecuite dropped from the pans are stored and cooled in the crystallizer. Open type
horizontal air cooled crystallizers were used for high grade massecuite and open type
horizontal water cooled crystallizers were used for low grade massecuite in the past.
At present for the lower grade massecuite single mono vertical crystallizer is being
used which will save lot of energy and maintenance cost.

Very low efficient worm and worm wheel type gears for crystallizer drive are
gradually getting replaced with high efficiency planetary gearbox, which saves nearly
50% of power consumed in this area. Also in the centrifugal area pug mill and magma
mixer drives are getting replaced with planetary gears. By this replacement 50%
electrical power will be saved in this area.

Shaft Mounted Planetary Gearboxes in Magma Mixer and Crystallizers

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2.12 Centrifugals:

For “A” Massecuite curing batch centrifugals are used which are being driven by
regenerative type ACVFD motors for power saving to reduce the power consumption
form 3.0 kW per cycle (conventional three speed motor) to 1.08 kW per cycle.

ACVFD Motor Mounted on the Batch Centrifugal Machines

2.13 Juice and Water Flow Meters:

In sugar mills, by replacing the weighing scale for juice and imbibition water with
online meters, power spent on pumping can be conserved. In the juice clarification
area juice flow measurement is carried out through mass flow meter replacing the
conventional mechanical tipper weighing scale. This totally eliminates the mechanical
weighing system and weighed raw juice pumps are dispensed with thereby, saving
energy in the sugar plant operation.

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 Mass Flow Meter for juice measurement

2.14 Condensers & Cooling System

Specific Power consumption in the injection Pumps is about 1.89 kW per ton cane.
By installing energy efficient condensers, Specific Power consumption in injection
Pump station can be reduced to 1.20 kW per ton cane. By installing Energy Efficient
cooling system power consumption can be reduced by 33%.

2.15 Condensers:

To create vacuum in evaporation and crystallization system, Barometric condensers

were used earlier in sugar factories in India. Later these were replaced by Double
Entry Multi Jet Condensers. Nowadays the double entry multi jet condensers are
getting replaced with single entry multi jet condensers. Single entry multi jet
condensers are highly efficient and hence the water requirement for the condensing
system is reduced by one third and also the operation can be easily automated to
reduce energy consumption.

Latest development in the condensing system is a single common centralized

condenser for entire process. Such system is already in operation in some new
installations, which are quite successful for steam and energy saving.

Centralized Condenser in a 3500 TCD sugar plant

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2.16 Energy efficient Pumps and Motors

In Sugar Mills, there are about 150 centrifugal pumps and 250 motors. By installing
energy efficient motors and pumps, installed power consumption can be reduced.

2.17 Energy Conservation by Proper Sizing

In sugar mills, it is a usual practice to provide higher capacity margin to cope up with
the fluctuation in the crushing rate and higher rating motor to avoid tripping. By
proper sizing of the equipment and installing less number of higher capacity machines
instead of more number of small capacity machines, installed HP and power
consumption can be reduced.

3.0 Sugar plant Thermal Energy conservation

3.1 Processing Steam % Cane

The sugar industry has many processes and systems that use steam (live, medium
pressure and exhaust). Some of the systems that have been using the live steam have
been replaced with exhaust steam and the average process steam consumption is
getting reduced from 50% steam on cane to about 35% steam on cane in the modern
sugar factories in India. Power-Steam ratio can be increased if the quality of steam
going to condensing mode is increased by decreasing the Processing Steam. If
processing steam % cane is reduced by adopting the thermal energy conserving
measures to 35% steam on cane from 50%, specific power generation and power
export to the grid can be increased. Sugar plants which have installed high pressure
co-generation system will gain very much by the reduction of process steam by way
of additional revenue earning due to increased power export.

3.2 Bleeding System

Maximum Steam economy can be achieved by optimizing vapour bleeding to Juice

heaters and Pans. Vapour required for each Juice Heater is almost fixed in
conventional sugar mills. Differential Juice Heating System-heating in stages,
improves steam economy. In the diffuser plant, Diffuser juice heating can be done in
two stages to improve the later body bleeding. This reduces vapour going to the
condenser which reduces the Evaporator injection water power consumption also.

3.3 Juice Heaters:

Juice heating by the tubular heater is gradually being replaced by Direct Contact
Heaters and Wide Gap Plate Type Heat Exchangers. Because of this juice can be
heated by later effect evaporator’s vapour to reduce the steam consumption in the
process. The approach temperature for the new generation heaters is very low (10C).
De-scaling of juice heaters is completely eliminated in the Direct Contact Heaters. In
the plate type heat exchanger automated cleaning systems are introduced and de-
scaling down time is reduced considerably.

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 Direct Contact Juice Heater DCH Installed for
Sulphited Juice & Clear Juice Heating

3.4 Number of Effect in Multiple Effect Evaporators

In earlier days in India, single vapor cell with quad and Double Effect Vapor Cell
with quad were used in the boiling house which are getting replaced by quintuple
effect evaporation with a common single condenser. Because the boiling house gets
the steam supply from TG extraction, the steam pressure available for the first effect
will be steadily maintained around 1.5 Kg/cm2 and 1300C. This eliminates the
thermal shocks in the evaporation system. The first effect Roberts bodies are being
slowly replaced by Semi Kestner and Falling Film Evaporators which are providing
lower ∆T in the evaporation. Even fourth body vapours can be utilized for pan
boiling.

Quintuple Effect Falling Film Evaporator Set

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 The above figure shows the FFE evaporator set installed in the 3500 TCD sugar plant
in Tamil Nadu, India where fourth body vapor is used for entire pan boiling. The
steam% cane of this factory is 31%.

Automatic juice flow stabilization control in clarification and auto control in

evaporator operation ensures consistency of operation and efficiency of the systems

3.5 Pan Boiling:

Vacuum pans are important equipment used in the manufacture of sugar. The
concentrated syrup from the evaporator at around 60-65 Brix is further concentrated
in these pans. This is a critical process for the production of good quality sugar and
involves the removal of water and deposition of sugar molecules on the nuclei.
Massecuite boiling is conventionally carried out by batch process in the Indian sugar
industry. These pans are characterized by:

• High hydrostatic head requirement

• High massecuite boiler temperature which cause color formation

• Loss of fluidity of massecuite, particularly towards the end of the batch cycle.

• Higher boiling point elevation resulting in lower heat flux for a given steam
condition.

• Very high steam consumption due to the non-uniform times of the loading,
unloading and pan washing cycles.

The need to overcome these shortcomings led to the development of continuous

vacuum pans (CVP), which have now been installed in many sugar plants. The
technological development of these pans dates back to the 1970’s, beginning with
modifications in batch pans and adapting them to continuous operations. The design
of these continuous systems aims to obtain maximum overall efficiency with
complete automation. Experience with continuous pans has shown improved
performances compared to batch pans with greater heat and mass transfer rates along
with the possibility of using low-pressure vapors. CVP technology for continuous
massecuite boiling in the sugar process offer several advantages, the most important
being:

• Very low hydrostatic loads.

• Improved grain-size quality.
• Wide circulation passages
• Heat balance optimization

In the crystallization process, nowadays, continuous vacuum pans, both horizontal

and vertical type are being utilized. These pans can be operated with low temperature
vapor. Hence later effect evaporator’s vapour (third and even fourth effect) will be
sufficient for the pan boiling. In the batch pans mechanical circulators (either bottom
mounted or top mounted) increases the circulation of massecuite and hence vapour
consumption reduces. By the above total steam consumption for sugar boiling is

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 reduced, by about 2%. Total automation of pan boiling controls results in consistency,
uniformity & efficiency.

Vertical Continuous Pan

3.6 Pan Boiling Scheme

Pans evaporation rate varies between 17kg per Sq.Mt to 85 kg per Sq.Mt. A Footing
Pan, 32 kg per Sq.Mt and 72 kg per Sq.Mt in A Massecuite Boiling Pan, 10.7 kg per
Sq.Mt to 45 kg per Sq.Mt in B Massecuite Boiling and 1.6 kg per Sq.Mt to 36 kg per
Sq.Mt in C Boiling. Care is to be taken to minimize the fluctuation in Pan Vapour
demand to achieve maximum steam economy.

3.7 Reducing Vapour and Exhaust Steam Venting

During Massecuite dropping, it is a usual practice to let off the heating vapour and
this causes loss of thermal energy. In order to minimize this loss, the other pans
heating vapour valves are opened a little more. But in the Diffuser Plant, that vapour
can be let into the diffuser to heat the circulating juice by which diffuser juice heating
vapour can be reduced and steam % cane be reduced indirectly.

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3.8 Recirculation of molasses and sugar

In order to manufacture the best quality sugar and reduce sugar loss in Final Molasses
Multi Crystallization is being followed. Sugar recirculation index varies between 3.5
to 3.9, Solid recirculation index varies between 3.2 to 3.6 and Non Sugar
Recirculation index varies between 4.0 to 6.0 Recirculation of Sugar and molasses are
to be optimized to reduce Steam % Cane.

3.9 Pan Washing Steam

In a 2500 TCD plant, about two tonnes of steam per day is consumed in Pan washing.
Two decades back 7 ata steam were being used for Pan Washing. At present Exhaust
steam is used for pan washing. Co-generation sugar mills can use Quint-I Vapour
instead of Exhaust Steam for Pan Washings to reduce Steam % Cane.

3.10 Molasses Conditioner Steam

At present 3 ata steam is being used for Molasses conditioning. Approximate

consumption of steam is around one ton per hour. The purpose of molasses
conditioning is to dissolve the small grains by diluting and raising the temperature.
Quint-I vapour can be used instead of 3 ata steam after suitably modifying the
molasses conditioners to conserve thermal energy and thereby Specific Power
Generation can be enhanced.

3.11 Continuous Melter

About one ton 3 ata steam and 3 tons hot water are being used per hour in the
continuous melter in a 2500 TCD plant. Quint-I Vapour can be used in the melter
after suitably modifying the Continuous Melter to reduce water to be evaporated and
3 ata steam consumption.

3.12 Stoppages & Cleaning Days

Frequent mill stoppages increases steam % cane. During the stoppage the
temperature of juices, storage tank syrup and molasses, Massecuite in the Pans, heat
exchangers, other vessels etc., comes down. During the restarting extra heat energy is
required to heat the cooled mass. This increases the Average Steam % Cane. So
stoppages should be as minimum as possible to conserve thermal energy. In the
milling Plant, wear and tear due to erosion and corrosion is more because of high
pressure squeezing and low juice pH. The percentage crushing stoppage due to mills
is about 2%.

Generally immediate after cleaning, steam % on Cane is less and bagasse saving is
more. As cleaning days approaches, steam, % on cane increases and bagasse saving
gets reduced. In order to achieve consistent steam % cane two sets of evaporator or
spare III, IV and V body can be installed. Moreover as the cleaning days approaches,
exhaust steam pressure increases which decreases the specific power generation also.
Similarly Periodical cleaning of the Juice heaters at the regular interval reduces steam
% Cane.

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3.13 Thermal Insulation

All the heat exchangers, pipes, vessels, receiving tanks, storage tanks etc., are to be
lagged with appropriate thickness lagging material. There will be loss of heat by
radiation and convection if the piping system tanks and vessels are not insulated
properly, thereby increasing the steam percent Cane. If the lagging gets wetted, the
insulation capacity of the lagging material gets reduced. So the chance of thermal
insulation getting wetted should be as minimum as possible.

3.14 Flash Vapor Circulation and U Column

Vapour condensate circulation system and the utilization of flash vapour conserve
electrical and thermal energy. Providing U column for condensate withdrawal and
transfer of juice from one body to other body arrests the escape of the Vapour.

3.15 Steam and Vapour leakage

Leakage in the steam and vapour pope lines and flange joints leakage increases the
Steam % on Cane. By-passing the Steam traps and excess venting of Ammonia gases
increase the loss of Steam and vapour.

3.16 Thermal Energy Conservation and Mill Steaming

In the milling system, circulating juice is at around 30 degree C which is vary

conducive for the growth of the micro-organism. Inter carriers, Mill Head stock sides,
Roller sides, etc., are streamed with 2.5 ata Steam at regular interval to curb the
growth of micro-organism in some of the sugar factories. This is being replaced by
hot water cleaning around 800C to conserve steam.

4.0 Adoption of new Sugar plant machinery and process

4.1 Juice Clarifier:

The conventional 444 clarifier is slowly getting replaced by Short Retention Time
(SRT) Juice Clarifier. Normally juice retention in this SRT type of clarifier is 45 min
as against 180 min in the conventional clarifier. SRT Clarifier eliminates the
reduction of clear juice temperature at the outlet of the clarifier due to short retention
time thereby saving in thermal energy in juice heating.

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 SRT Juice Clarifier

4.2 Filtrate Juice Clarification:

Filtrate juice from the Vacuum Filter/ Decanter is treated in the filtrate juice
clarification system (either by flotation or sedimentation process), so that the clarified
juice can be directly taken into the evaporator for further processing, which eliminates
around 12% juice re-circulation in the clarification process.

4.3 Sugar Cane Juice Processing:

Sugar cane Juice Processing for the production of sugar depends upon the juice
clarification process; the following are the processes adopted to remove the impurities
and coloring mater from the sugar cane juice.

• Defecation Process

• Double Sulphitation/Carbonation Process and

• Phosphatation Floatation Process

The defecation & Phosphatation process are used to make raw sugar with colour value
of about 800 ICUMCA. The double sulphitation/Carbonation Process are used to
make direct consumable plantation white sugar with the colour value of around 150
ICUMCA.
In India, traditionally double sulphitation process is adopted to make direct
consumable plantation white sugar. As per Indian Sugar Standard Sulphur content
allowed is 70 mg/kg (Max) for double sulphitation process and 15 mg/kg (Max) for
refined sugar process. Sulphur content of 70 mg/kg in the sugar is not acceptable in
the beverage industries and in some countries.
Operation & maintenance of sulphur burners and SO2 gas lines are expensive and also
the cost of sulphur is fluctuating. To avoid these difficulties, nowadays sugar

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 factories are switching over to defecation process for raw sugar production followed
by melt clarification and modified refining process with R1 & R2 massecuite boiling,
to produce lustrous, sulphurless white sugar of less than 50 ICUMCA. Apart from
that they are having the refinery columns for refined sugar production. By refinery
process, sugar colour value comes down to 20 to 30 ICUMCA.
4.4 Muddy Juice Filtration:
Muddy juice is currently being de-sweetened using rotary vacuum drum filters in
most of the sugar factories in India. Vacuum filters work on the basis of vacuum
filtration and in case of vacuum problem, the efficiency gets affected. In addition,
higher sugar losses through filter cakes are experienced in vacuum filters. An
alternative system for de-sweetening the muddy juice by using solid bowl decanters
has been established with encouraging results. The decanters eliminate the bagacillo
requirement and reduces pol loss in the mud.

View of Decanter Machine

5.0 Water conservation in Sugar Plants

It is well known that sugar cane contains water to the extent of 70% to 72% of its
weight. This water comes to the sugar factory along with sugar cane but still many
factories draw huge quantity of fresh water to meet their process and cooling water
requirements. Hence these factories are saddled with large quantity of effluent. The
term ‘fresh water’ is used to describe the water inputs to the factory that is drawn
from river, local catchments and bore-wells. The factory prefers to use fresh water
because of its low solids content and low temp.
The term ‘effluent’ is used to describe the factory liquid effluent discharged to surface
water. Its quantity and quality depends on the sugar manufacturing technology and the
cooling system deployed by the factory. A sugar factory requires process water as
well as cooling water. The water content of the cane is adequate for the manufacture
of cane sugar. By recycling and its reuse, the consumption of fresh water for the
various cooling circuits can be minimized. Adoption of water conservation measures

AVANT-GARDE 
  21 Engineers and Consultants (P) Ltd
 would further minimize the generation of effluent. A stand alone sugar mill after
meeting its in house process and cooling water requirement should generate surplus
water.
Depleting water resources and restriction on use of ground water in most parts of the
country for industrial use, has motivated technologists to develop less water intensive
systems for sugar complexes and adopt ways and means to utilize the surplus water
from the sugar mill, for meeting the makeup water requirement. Incidentally the
sugar mill effluent has low levels of COD and BOD contamination and hence can be
recycled after suitable treatment.
6.0 Sugar Cane Water circuit
It is estimated that each tonn of fresh, clean cane entering the sugar mill would
comprise of about 710 kgs. of water, 145kgs. of dissolved solids (sucrose, reducing
sugars, impurities etc) and 145 kgs. of insoluble matter (fiber, dirt etc). Part of the
water in cane is lost in the solid and liquid waste material leaving the premises of the
sugar mill i.e. as moisture in bagasse, as vapours to the condensers, as moisture in
filter cake, as moisture in lime grit and as moisture in final molasses. There would be
variations in the quantity of water through the cane water circuit depending on the
cane quality and the processing technology deployed. An estimate of the cane water
circuit for the sugar mill with a rated capacity of 160 TCH is furnished below:

S.No Particulars Unit Qty.

1. Sugar Cane input TCH 160.0

2. Water in Sugar Cane @ 71% t/hr 113.6

3. Water out through various waste material

3.1 through bagasse @ 15% cane t/hr 24.0

3.2 through lime grit @ 0.1% cane t/hr 0.2

3.3 through filter cake @ 3% cane t/hr 4.8

3.4 through final molasses @ 0.5% cane t/hr 0.8

3.5 through vapour lost to condensers @ 25% cane t/hr 40.0

3.6 through vents and evaporation loss @ 4.4% cane t/hr 7.0

3.7 Total water out in waste material @ 48% cane t/hr 76.8

4.0 Excess water @ 23% cane t/hr 36.8

5.0. Excess water per ton of cane lit/tc 230.0

AVANT-GARDE 
  22 Engineers and Consultants (P) Ltd
 The surplus condensate of about 36.8 tonnes per hour will be at a higher temperature
and at a COD content of about 300 PPM and dissolved solid content of 100 PPM.
This water can be cooled and treated further for reuse in the factory.

7.0 Conclusion

By product Power project improves the profitability of the Sugar Industry. Energy
Efficient Equipment improves the profitability of the Sugar Mills. Specific Electrical
Energy consumption can be reduced by incorporating various Energy Efficient
Equipments like Diffuser, VFD, Energy Efficient Transmission gears, pumps and
motors, etc. and thereby power export to the grid can be increased. Reduction in
process steam consumption will indirectly increase the surplus power export to grid.
Energy Efficient Equipment increases the profitability of the sugar mills due to the
increased revenue earned from the power projects. In near future, Sugar Mills
without high pressure Co-Generation and energy efficiency will not be viable.
Reduced water usage in a factory will also reduce the pollution from the sugar plants.
The profitability of the sugar factory will improve with the adoption of energy and
water conservation measures.

AVANT-GARDE 
  23 Engineers and Consultants (P) Ltd
For more information on any of our services, please contact us on +91 -44- 2482 8717 /
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