Energy Efficiency in the Agroindustry
The agroindustry is one of the most energy-intensive productive sectors, mainly due to its reliance on thermal processes such as drying, cooking, sterilization, evaporation, and washing. In many plants, steam consumption accounts for between 50% and 70% of the total energy use, making thermal systems the primary focus for improvement opportunities.
Optimizing boilers is a top priority. Improving combustion efficiency through adjustments of excess air, automation of blowdowns, and utilization of economizers significantly reduces fuel consumption. Additionally, recovering waste heat from exhaust gases, dryers, and hot water streams can be reused to preheat feedwater, combustion air, or process fluids, thereby lowering the demand for primary energy. Proper management of the steam network—avoiding losses due to poor insulation, faulty steam traps, and low condensate recovery—is another key factor in maximizing thermal efficiency.
At the same time, many agro-industries are progressing in replacing fossil fuels with biomass, using by-products such as husks, bagasse, or wood chips to fuel high-efficiency boilers. This model not only reduces costs but also promotes the circular economy and improves the environmental profile of the operation.
In facilities with high biomass availability, cogeneration and its optimization present a high-value strategy. By simultaneously generating thermal and electrical energy, industrial processes are supplied, reducing the purchase of grid electricity.
The installation of high-pressure biomass boilers coupled to turbines enables the valorization of internal residues and significantly decreases fossil fuel consumption and CO₂ emissions.
On the other hand, electrical systems have a significant impact in the agroindustry, especially in compressed air, pumping, ventilation, chillers, and cooling towers. Compressed air systems often suffer from substantial losses due to leaks — in some cases between 25% and 35% of the generated air — as well as oversizing and excessive pressures. Efficient management includes leak detection, pressure adjustment, and compressor control, incorporating variable frequency drives (VFDs) where feasible to adapt operation to actual demand.
The same applies to pumping and ventilation systems, where oversizing and fixed-speed operation unrelated to process needs are commonly detected. The integration of VFDs, sensors, and automation allows speed adjustments and consumption reduction during low demand periods, generating electrical savings that can exceed 20% to 45%.
Finally, the effectiveness of cooling towers, essential for dissipating heat from processes and chillers, depends on proper maintenance of fill media, water distribution, blade balancing, and speed control. It is also advisable to incorporate variable frequency drives (VFDs) in the ventilation motors to modulate their operation and reduce energy consumption.
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