Energy efficiency in steam and
condensate savings
Mr Lauri Suomalainen
Senior Consultant, Energy Efficiency in Industry
Motiva Oy
P.O. Box 489 (Urho Kekkosen katu 4–6 A)
FI-00101 Helsinki
Finland
lauri.suomalainen@motiva.fi
Ms Hille Hyytiä
Head of Unit, Energy Efficiency in Industry
Motiva Oy
P.O. Box 489 (Urho Kekkosen katu 4–6 A)
FI-00101 Helsinki
Finland
hille.hyytia@motiva.fi
Keywords
energy analysis, monitoring, industrial steam systems, indus-
trial energy saving, condensate system, maintenance
Abstract
In our country industry has long experience in co-operating
in energy efficiency issues. Industrial steam and condensate
system project is one of such programmes. The purpose of this
industrial steam and condensate pipeline system study was
to learn what can be done in the plant to improve energy ef-
ficiency and how to spread the results and auditing methods
to other industrial plants. Only the distribution of the steam
and condensate return system was studied. The results from
the study showed that much can be achieved even with simple
and low cost actions.
A case study was carried out in a paper mill with two paper
machines. It revealed several encouraging findings. The results
affected not only the steam and condensate pipelines, but the
whole steam system. The purpose was not only to stop leak-
ages, but also to present good maintenance and installation
practices. The saving potential found was 1.9 % of the steam
consumption of the plant with payback time of approximately
0.4 year. In energy costs, this means a saving of some 2.4 % and
an approximately 3 % reduction of CO2 emissions.
As a result of the study a report was published. The report has
multiple parts and it deals with different aspects of steam and
condensate pipeline energy-efficiency and how to improve it.
In addition, a separate measurement guide was also pre-
pared. This guide has two targets: a) How to measure and avoid
pitfalls, and b) How monitoring should be done.
There are many basic issues described in the report and the
measurement guide, which also include useful reading material
ECEEE 2012 SUMMER STUDY on Energy efficiency in industry  617
for experts on how to improve energy efficiency in steam and
condensate pipelines.
Introduction
The energy-intensive industry uses large quantities of steam,
and it is of utmost importance that all parts of the system work
efficiently. Steam and condensate pipelines between the steam
generation plant and processes using steam are often neglected.
People working at a steam generation plant work to produce
steam as efficiently as possible. People working in the produc-
tion lines want to ensure the quality and quantity of the proc-
esses. Both of these parties are seldom interested in steam and
condensate pipelines and how they are working.
Representatives of the energy-intensive industry in Fin-
land, the Aalto University, the Ministry of Employment and
the Economy, leading equipment suppliers of steam in Fin-
land and Motiva Oy established a project group and drew up a
project plan on how to improve the energy-efficiency of steam
and condensate pipelines. A consultant company was selected
to carry out most of the field work and to draw up the audit
guide.
The most important goal of the project was to find how to
achieve savings in steam and condensate systems in enterprises
and to improve their performance. Motiva had previously esti-
mated that the saving potential in the Finnish industry was in
the region of 1.9 TWh/year, which equals to 3 % of the use of
steam in Finnish industrial plants.
The second goal was to find out, collect and develop infor-
mation and knowledge of industrial steam and condensate sys-
tems and to spread the information for the benefit of industrial
plants.
4-142-12 Suomalainen, Hyytiä
Case study
A typical paper mill was selected as the pilot plant for several
reasons. The mill had two paper machines and all the usual
departments and heat consumption sections of a paper mill.
At the site, there were low and middle pressure pipelines and
respective condensate pipe lines, and therefore it was possible
to study every relevant aspect. Steam for the plant and for the
backpressure turbine for electricity generation was produced in
a steam power plant, which was not included in the audit. The
production of the paper machine that was on the consump-
tion side of the steam lines totalled 300,000 t/year of printing
paper. Some figures of the steam demand in the paper plant are
presented in Table 1.
The boundary line of the audit in the production side was the
main steam manifold and the main condensate tank. On the
consumption side, the boundary line was the main steam valve
of the paper machine. The steam and condensate systems of the
paper machine were not included in the audit.
Steam and condensate systems
The power plant produces steam and electricity only to the pa-
per mill. Generation of steam at the power station was quite
steady throughout the year with the exception of two occasions
(holiday, maintenance). Average use of middle pressure steam
amounted to 10 MW and low pressure steam 70 MW. The dura-
tion curve is steady (Figure 1). This made it easy to estimate the
losses and savings in a reliable and accurate way.
Table 1. Power and consumption of steam at the paper mill.
Element Power, MW
Total steam in the paper plant 80
- low pressure steam 70
- middle pressure steam 10
Paper machine 56
- low pressure steam 49
- middle pressure steam 7 60
Figure 1. Steam consumption of the paper mill over a year.
618  ECEEE 2012 SUMMER STUDY on Energy efficiency in industry
4. UNDERTAKING HIGH IMPACT ACTIONS: TECHNOLOGY AND …
Steam is used in a paper machine and to heat up process
water, ventilation air and the buildings. The average total power
of steam by the paper machine was approximately 56 MW. Low
pressure steam (2.2 bar) was the normal back pressure steam
of the turbine. Middle pressure steam (12 bar) was taken from
the turbines’ tap-off. There was some middle pressure usage in
some +places due to the location of an instrument that needed
low pressure steam.
Condensate from the paper machine was recovered and
gathered in a tank; the condensate was pumped back to the
power station’s main condensate tank. About 80 % of the con-
densate was returned to the paper mill (Figure 2).
Maintenance was carried out by an outside company. Moni-
toring of the steam and condensate during operating hours was
performed by the company itself. There was no regular main-
tenance programme. Faults were repaired as and when they
occurred.
All steam and condensate measurements from every paper
machine were connected to process automation. Monthly con-
sumption of heat and electricity was reported to the people in
charge of paper production. The energy group of the mill had a
meeting every 3 months to review energy efficiency and to give
instructions on how to improve operations.
Field studies
The field studies were carried out by experts of the steam equip-
ment suppliers. More than 120 steam traps were studied. The
methods used were surface temperature measurements, use
Consumption, GWh/year
700
600
100
490
430
4. UNDERTAKING HIGH IMPACT ACTIONS: TECHNOLOGY AND … 4-142-12 Suomalainen, Hyytiä

Figure 2. Distribution of the condensate in the paper machine.

Table 2. Results of the steam trap studies.

Number of Percentage of the

Observation faults steam traps studied, %
Condensate to waste 41 34
Inadequate installation 52 43
Steam trap not working properly 22 18
Wrong steam trap type 31 26

   

Figure 3. A thermal and a normal picture of a steam trap.

of ultrasound devices and thermal cameras, and also separate
tests to identify the status of each steam trap. The experts also
estimated if the steam trap used was of the appropriate type for
that specific place and purpose.
Thermal cameras give very good and accurate readings when
used in the appropriate way. The use of such cameras provides
good evidence of the steam trap’s condition. In thermal pic-
tures, important temperature readings can be pointed out. It is
also a rather quick way to obtain reliable results.
Great attention was paid to faults in installations. It is impor-
tant that dirt in the pipeline does not disturb proper function-
ing of the steam trap. The bypass valve should be installed so
that the dirt builds up in front of it and not in the steam trap.
In the best case, dirt is led into a drain so that it does not cause
further problems in the pipeline.
During the study, experts found several bypass valves that
were open, as well as broken steam traps. They also found leaks
in the lines and discovered that process condensate had been
wasted. The big problem with even a small leak is that it will
accrue high costs when the running hours are long, such as
8,000 h/year. Every leak and fault should be repaired as soon
as possible.

ECEEE 2012 SUMMER STUDY on Energy efficiency in industry  619

4-142-12 Suomalainen, Hyytiä
Bad Better
Figure 4. An example of the installation of steam traps.
Table 3. Faults in the condensate pipelines.
Steam leaks kg/h Recovered
Bypass valve open (15 pcs) 1,050 100 %
Broken steam trap (22 pcs) 300 40 %
Leakage in the line 165 0%
Process condensate wasted 720 0%
Other observations
In addition to steam and condensate observations, the audi-
tors noticed several deficiencies in energy efficiency that should
be improved. For example, in the middle pressure steam line,
four measurements need to be added for comprehensive energy
balance measurement. There was also unnecessary use of mid-
dle pressure steam that could be substituted with low pressure
steam. The error in the steam balance was in accordance with
the findings of the field work.
In the low-pressure network, three more steam meters need
to be added for a comprehensive steam energy balance. Several
faults in the measurements were found during the field work.
The error in the steam balance was also in accordance with the
findings of the field work.
The average return rate of the condensate was over 80  %.
There is some uncertainty as during the summer the return
rate of the condensate is smaller than the lower limit of the
condensate flow meter.
Efficiency measures
The most important efficiency measures found in the steam
and condensate pipelines were closing the bypass valves that
were found open and repairing the steam traps that were bro-
ken or leaking. These represent about 80 % of the findings in
the heat energy saving potential. In some areas that were in-
spected, no relevant savings were found, for example, the use of
flash steam, pressure level or losses in the steam and condensate
pipelines and pipe insulation.
Insulation of the pipelines, including valves, was inspected
during the study. The thickness of the insulation was at a proper
620  ECEEE 2012 SUMMER STUDY on Energy efficiency in industry
4. UNDERTAKING HIGH IMPACT ACTIONS: TECHNOLOGY AND …
Best
Wasted
0%
60 %
100 %
100 %
level. No savings were found in insulation and no major faults
were discovered.
Middle-pressure steam should be changed to low-pressure
steam as this would make it possible to increase the produc-
tion of electricity by 3.7 GWh/year and achieve fuel savings of
1.8 GWh/year.
Results of the case study
The case study was carried out in a typical paper mill with
backpressure electricity production. The saving potential found
was 1.9 % of the steam consumption with approximate payback
time of 0.4 a. As for make-up water for the steam system, the
savings were 6.3 %. In the power plant, electricity production
can be increased by 970 MWh/year, which means a 0.8 % in-
crease in production. If emission were included, the total sav-
ings would be even greater.
The study revealed several encouraging findings. The results
affected not only the steam and condensate pipelines, but the
entire steam system. The purpose was not only to stop leaks,
but also to present good maintenance and installation practices.
The conclusions found were in some cases contradictory. For
example, steam production, steam consumption and mainte-
nance may often be represented by three different companies.
There may be differences in how problems should be dealt with
and solved.
The proposed saving measures can be contradictory for dif-
ferent parties. Direct saving in the use of steam (heat) means
less produced steam; fuel and make-up water are saved. There
are also fewer emissions to the atmosphere. For the power
4. UNDERTAKING HIGH IMPACT ACTIONS: TECHNOLOGY AND …
plant, this means lower electricity production, which may be
much more valuable than saved steam (heat).
By changing unnecessary use of middle pressure steam to
low pressure steam means that more electricity can be pro-
duced. In addition, savings are achieved in fuel, emissions and
additional water.
The saving potentials must be carried out and the faults re-
paired as soon as possible. Continuous use and incorrect tech-
niques in the use of steam and condensate increase losses all
the time. Investments taking place in the future will hardly be
cheaper than those carried out right now.
Audit guide
Based on the pilot plant findings, it was decided that a guide
is needed for industrial enterprises using steam, maintenance
service suppliers and energy auditors and for all those working
closely with these companies. The consulting company drew up
the audit guide and the project group gave its comments and
advice during the project (Motiva 2011).
Audit model
The audit model consists of four sections, which form a guide
to the steam and condensate line audit.
Part 1 defines the guidelines of the steam and condensate
pipeline audit. It also describes the purpose and principles of a
steam and condensate audit according to the Motiva principles
(Figure 5). The following areas are included in the steam and
condensate pipeline audit:
• steam and condensate pipelines
Figure 5. Principles of a steam and condensate pipeline audit.
ECEEE 2012 SUMMER STUDY on Energy efficiency in industry  621
4-142-12 Suomalainen, Hyytiä
• efficiency measures in steam production
• efficiency measures in steam consumption.
Basic data has to be gathered from the consumption side, the
steam and condensate pipelines and the production site. This
means close co-operation with the auditor and all three parties.
In field work, the auditor has to clarify the structure of the
steam and condensate pipelines, inspect the condition of the
pipelines and the steam traps and other equipment, and verify
how they work.
The analysis is carried out in close co-operation with pro-
duction, maintenance and consumption personnel. The main
attention is directed towards finding savings and making the
system work more energy-efficiently.
Reporting much depends on the target and the findings. Eve-
rything must be presented in a reader-friendly way as everyone
reading the report is not an expert in steam and condensate
matters.
It is very important that the customer and the auditor agree
where the main focus is even if the whole area has to be cov-
ered. They must also agree on the terms and ways of acting
in the field so that the audit can be carried out smoothly. The
limits of the audit must be clear in order to have the agreed
work done in an efficient way. Use of clear boundary lines is
recommended and a field tour to clarify the limits is advisable
(Figure 6).
Part 2 describes how to carry out a steam and condensate
audit and to report findings. It also describes the main areas
where the focus should be set. The contents of this section are
written in general terms, and therefore it can be adapted widely
to different industrial branches, equipment selections and plant
Figure 6. Typical boundary lines for a steam and condensate
pipeline audit.
4-142-12 Suomalainen, Hyytiä
sizes. Technical details or specifications of steam and conden-
sate equipment and systems are not included.
Table of contents, summary:
• Summary
• Basic information
• The present status of the steam and condensate pipelines
• Results of the field work
• Energy balance of the steam and condensate pipelines
• Operational saving potential
• Saving measures and economy
• Future actions.
Part 3 is an example report from an imaginary paper mill where
a steam and condensate audit has been carried out. This is a
complete report so the reader can follow the steps and actions
that were carried out and how the findings were reported. In
smaller companies, the report can be more compact, but it
must follow the same principles.
It must always be kept in mind that every industrial site is
one of a kind and must be treated like one. Attention must be
paid to variations in production, operating hours, type and age
of equipment, as well as to maintenance. Part 4 gives instruc-
tions and advice to the maintenance department and designers.
Details of good installation and operation practices are given to
designers and the maintenance department.
People working with steam and condensate systems are given
advice on how to identify and deal with problems and how to
maintain good energy efficiency. Monitoring systems must be
reliable and up-to-date. The decision of who takes care of what
must be made clear to everyone involved. During maintenance,
all three sections must be kept in mind: production, pipelines
and consumption. In this part, advice is also given to design-
ers with regard to the areas they must pay attention to when
designing or renovating steam and condensate system. The ad-
vice deals with all basic areas, for example, steam pressure and
dimensioning of pipes, insulation, selection of steam traps, use
of flash steam and, of course, measurements. Examples are also
shown. One person must be appointed to be in charge of the
steam and condensate system and to supervise the work. The
person must also have appropriate staff, equipment and money
to manage the task. Steam traps must be inspected regularly, at
least once a year.
In addition, a slide show was created to be presented in com-
pany seminars for maintenance and other departments work-
ing with steam and condensate systems.
Measurement guide
In addition to the audit guide, measurements were found to be
an extremely important part of energy efficiency in a steam and
condensate system. To improve a steam and condensate line sys-
tem in a cost-effective way, it must also be possible to measure
the flows in a reliable manner in order to see how everything is
working. It must also be possible to verify changes in consump-
tion after investments. That is the reason why the measurement
guide was seen as a very important part of the entire survey.
622  ECEEE 2012 SUMMER STUDY on Energy efficiency in industry
4. UNDERTAKING HIGH IMPACT ACTIONS: TECHNOLOGY AND …
The guide describes the basic construction of a steam and
condensate system and how to measure the flows in each part
of the network. Special attention is paid to balance sheets, re-
porting, online measurements and energy efficiency. There
must be a purpose for the measurements, such as defining spe-
cial consumption. These numbers tell the process staff how they
are running the process.
It is very important to choose the best meter type and the
correct meter size to carry out the work. To be able to measure
energy from a steam and condensate flow, you must be able to
measure the flow and the pressure.
Reliable measurements are the foundation of energy man-
agement decisions. That is why strict criteria must be followed
when installing flow, temperature and pressure meters. Meters
must be regularly maintained and calibrated. Reliable measure-
ments are only a part of the entire measurement process. The
data transfer must also be reliable and faultless.
Communications
The steam and condensate energy audit model is a new and
important tool to improve energy efficiency in industry. Now
that we have achieved promising results, it is very important to
spread the findings of the project and the auditing method. In
this case, the most important groups to be informed are indus-
trial companies using steam in production, especially energy
managers and maintenance departments, and also companies
offering steam maintenance services and their personnel. The
third group consists of energy auditing companies and their
auditors who now have a guide to use and exploit in their work.
Benefits of the project
The benefits of this project can be summarised as follows:
• A systematic practice for the company personnel to ascer-
tain and maintain energy efficiency of the steam and con-
densate system in an industrial plant. Usability of the steam
and condensate system will improve and become more en-
ergy efficient.
• The audit model presents a uniform way to document and
report the results of steam and condensate pipeline audits.
It also offers a comprehensive model for industrial plants
to use as a project plan and when putting such an audit out
to tender.
• The measurement guide gives recommendations on meas-
urements and their installation (location, meter type, etc.)
for the industrial plant to monitor energy efficiency and en-
ergy costs. Reliable metering is the only way to divide the
costs according to consumption, serving as a robust basis
for emissions trading.
• More attention should be paid to steam and condensate
pipelines, which are often neglected.
References
Motiva Oy, Höyry-lauhde-siirtojärjestelmä, Energiakat-
selmuksen tarkennetut toteutusohjeet (Only in Finnish),
2011