Cost of the Electrical Energy Obtained by Cogeneration in the Sugar Cane Mills

In most sugar cane mills there are consumers of steam (process). They work with a very small pressure compared with the one obtained in the steam boilers, this pressure is increased even more if over heaters are used. In order to obtain this low operation pressure, it is necessary to pass the steam through a reducing valve. If this steam goes through a back-pressure turbine and electric power is thus generated, then the energy that would get lost in the reducing valve is instead used. This process constitutes a way of saving energy.