Performance improvement through steam-net optimisation

Surprisingly many industrial power plants have serious problems with unstable steam pressures. They are not only an operational challenge: economic losses due to inefficient steam balancing are typically between EUR 0.2 million and EUR 2.0 million annually at almost all paper mills.

Pöyry has a unique track record in optimising power plant steam balancing. Over the years the work process has become straightforward, and there are already over 40 successful references all around the world.

A typical project starts with a control audit including feasibility estimation of the implementation.

In the second phase the feasibility is calculated accurately with the help of a steam-network dynamic simulation with the Modysim™ programme.

In the implementation phase a specification for the control modifications is prepared. Pöyry's specialists supervise the reconfiguration of the turbine and automation systems and after that finetune all the controllers. Steam pressure stability in the low-pressure header typically achieved in our projects is ± 0.05 bar during stable conditions and ±0.1 bar during disturbance situations.

A steam-net optimisation project often has a short pay-back time, typically less than a year.