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 fine-tune 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.