Increasing energy efficiency with Steam Infusion
Whether it’s demands from consumers or governments, the food industry is under huge pressure to reduce its carbon footprint, particularly as one quarter of the world’s greenhouse gas emissions result from food production and agriculture. Yet when you’re already dealing with regulation, productivity slumps and labour shortages, it can feel like a burden to tackle yet another challenge meaningfully without compromising on the financials. And if we are to meet targets like the EU’s aim to become climate neutral by 2050, then we all need to do more. So what if there were a way to reduce energy consumption while actually increasing your throughputs? Steam Infusion could be the answer.
Traditional cooking
Many traditional cooking technologies are highly energy intensive. From steam jackets to steam injection, a lot of energy goes in to cook your products but a lot is also lost as the steam bubbles through the liquid and escapes into the atmosphere as excess heat. Some of this can usually be recovered and reused with an effective steam recovery system, but wouldn’t it be simpler and more cost-effective to use a more efficient process from the start?
Steam Infusion savings
With Steam Infusion, energy losses to the atmosphere are minimised thanks to the innovative design. The annular nozzle within the Steam Infusion Vaction Pump allows steam to condense within the Pump itself and the heating process does not rely on contact time between the steam and the product so it can run at comparatively higher steam pressures without compromising on efficiency.
Thanks to Steam Infusion’s highly efficient energy transfer, the technology can achieve less than 3% energy loss both In-Tank and In-Line. Our research has shown that you can achieve up to 20% reduction in energy consumed when using the Steam Infusion system compared with traditional steam-jacketed cooking vessels, depending on your existing processing conditions. This can help to both reduce costs and boost your green credentials. What’s more, you’ll reduce waste as no product is lost in pipework or burned during processing.
“The Steam Infusion system is very fast and has reduced our cooking energy consumption by 15%. It’s a quality piece of equipment that’s definitely ‘cook proof’.”
Steam efficiency
There could also be other savings to be made within your steam system powering the Steam Infusion cooking process. Whether you use culinary grade steam or clean steam, it’s vital to choose the best ingredient for your process to protect the quality and flavours of your end product. Working with the right steam partner, such as Spirax Sarco, can ensure you have the right equipment for your processes. They can also advise on additional measures to increase your energy efficiency, such as maintaining effective steam traps in the condensate loop or a condensate recovery system, which can decrease consumption, maintain product quality and increase productivity.