A packaged skid arrives with the heat exchanger, pumps, valves, traps, controls and instruments already piped, wired and pressure tested on one frame. Your contractor connects steam, condensate, water and power, and it runs. We build a standard range for the common duties and bespoke packages for everything else, in Australia, to fit the space you have.
Standard and bespoke steam package solutions
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What we offer
Each standard package is sized to your duty from the measured flows, temperatures and steam pressure, so "standard" describes the design, not a one-size unit.
Hot water heat exchanger package
Steam in, hot water out at a controlled temperature. Shell and tube or plate exchanger, steam control valve, condensate drainage sized for the stall case, safety valve, temperature control and isolation on one frame, with optional steam and water meters and transmitters. For plant hot water, process water and space heating.
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Flash steam recovery package
Flash vessel, pressure control and outlets to a low pressure load or feedwater heater, with an optional vapour condenser for the heat left after the flash vessel. Captures the flash steam currently vented at condensate receivers and feed tanks, usually to preheat boiler feedwater.
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Condensate pump package
Receiver, electric or pressure powered pump, check and isolation valves and level control, with an optional flow meter. Returns condensate to the boiler house where it cannot get there by gravity, including high temperature condensate that cavitates electric pumps.
Bespoke packages
When the duty, the space or the process does not fit a standard design, we engineer the package from scratch. Any combination of heat exchange, pumping, pressure reduction, controls and metering can go on one frame, and the frame is designed to the footprint you have.
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Why packaged rather than built on site?
Site fabrication means weeks of trades in your plant room, pipework designed as it goes and a system that is first tested when the plant is already depending on it. A package moves that work into a workshop.
| Built on site | Packaged skid |
|---|---|
| Weeks of trades in the plant room | Skid set in place and connected; tie-ins planned around production or a shutdown window |
| First tested when the plant is already depending on it | Pressure tested in the workshop before delivery |
| Exchanger, drainage, controls and safety devices sourced and fitted separately | Designed together, so low load stall and flashing problems from mismatched parts are designed out |
| Drawings and manuals assembled afterwards, if at all | One frame, one set of P&IDs, one operation manual, compliance certificates |
| Fixed in place | Can be relocated or duplicated when the plant changes |
What goes into a package design?
The package is only as good as the numbers it is sized from. For a hot water skid that means the real flow range, the inlet and outlet temperatures and the steam pressure at the skid, including the lowest load the unit must control at. For a flash recovery skid it means the condensate flow, the pressures either side and where the flash steam can usefully go. For a condensate pump skid it means condensate temperature, flow, lift and back pressure.
Where the plant does not have those numbers, we measure them through our steam consultancy and system design service or recommend steam and water metering first. The engineering behind the exchanger selection sits on our heat exchanger packages page, and the valving on the skid comes from our steam, condensate and water valving range. We explain the principles in our notes on condensate return systems, heat recovery systems and steam pressure reduction.
Industries we work in
- Meat processing and abattoirs. High capacity hot water skids for washdown and sterilising, flash recovery on rendering plants, condensate return from cookers.
- Food and beverage. Stainless steel skids for hygienic process heating, pasteurising and CIP, with instrumentation for SCADA visibility.
- Healthcare and hospitals. Hot water and sterilisation loads where reliability and documentation matter.
- Timber and paper. Process heating and drying at scale.
- General manufacturing. Any plant that raises steam and sends hot condensate or flash steam to waste.
Results from the plants we work with
- Teys Wagga. A flash steam recovery skid fabricated to fit the limited space on an elevated platform in the boiler house, with a vapour condenser designed to capture the residual heat still in the vented vapour. The Teys Wagga flash steam project preheats 16,000 litres per hour of feedwater from 98 to 125°C and lifts a 22 litre per second process water stream from 86 to 90°C, recovering about 3.3 GJ per hour that was going to atmosphere. Thermal energy per head of cattle processed is down more than 30%.
- Kellogg's. A metered hot water package fabricated to fit a limited space. The Kellogg's hot water system holds temperature from 0.3 to 15 litres per second.
- EC Throsby and Hilltop Meats. A compact package producing 60,000 litres per hour of hot water from 15 to 90°C, replacing 25 instantaneous gas units. Read the EC Throsby hot water upgrade.
Each was a bespoke package built to a measured duty and a fixed footprint.
How we work
- Duty and footprint. You send us the flows, temperatures, pressures and the space available, or we visit and measure.
- Design. We select from the standard range or design bespoke, and issue P&IDs, a general arrangement and a proposal.
- Build and test. The skid is fabricated and pressure tested in the workshop.
- Deliver and commission. Shipped anywhere in Australia. Your contractor connects it, or we install and commission it under turnkey installation and project management.
Related reading
- Case study: flash steam recovery at Teys Wagga
- Case study: hot water system optimisation at Kellogg's
- Case study: hot water production upgrade at EC Throsby
- Condensate return systems: why sending hot water back is the easiest steam saving you are missing
- Heat recovery systems: turning wasted heat into lower fuel bills
Frequently asked questions
How much site work is needed to install a packaged skid?
Very little. The valves, traps, controls and instruments are already piped on the frame. Your contractor sets the skid in place and connects the steam, condensate, water and power lines. Tie-ins can usually be planned around production.
What is the difference between a standard and a bespoke package?
A standard package uses a proven design for a common duty, sized to your numbers. A bespoke package is engineered from scratch where the duty, the process or the space does not fit a standard design. Both are built and tested the same way and both come with full drawings.
Can you build a skid to fit an awkward space?
Yes. The frame is designed to your footprint, including height and access restrictions. The Teys Wagga flash recovery skid was built to fit an elevated platform in an existing boiler house, and the Kellogg's package was fabricated for a limited space.
Mechanical or electric condensate pump: which should I choose?
Mechanical pumps use steam or compressed air as the motive force. They suit hazardous areas, high temperature condensate that makes electric pumps cavitate, and remote locations without power. Electric pumps suit higher flows and sites where power and cool condensate are available. We select on the duty.
Does the package include metering?
It can. Steam and water flow meters and pressure and temperature transmitters can be built into any package, as they were on the Kellogg's hot water system, so the saving can be measured and the unit monitored from your SCADA or building management system.
What documentation comes with a package?
P&IDs, a general arrangement drawing, an operation and maintenance manual and compliance certificates for the pressure equipment.
Request a package quote
Send us the duty and the space, or ask us to measure it. Call +61 493 272 864, email sales@energyspecialties.com.au, or use the contact form.
Request a package quote