Process utilities

Process utilities are everything a plant needs to operate that is neither a product nor a raw material. The most common ones are:

• compressed air, which drives pneumatic valves and some equipment, and sometimes comes into contact with the product (in which case it must be properly purified),
• process steam, used for heating the product, pasteurisation, sterilisation and cleaning,
• chilled water, meaning water cooled, usually to a few degrees Celsius, used to cool the product and equipment,
• process water, meaning treated water that becomes part of the product or is used for cleaning,
• electricity, which powers motors, heaters and automation.

Process utilities are generated by separate equipment: compressors, boiler houses, chillers and water treatment stations. Every new installation increases the demand for utilities. If the existing sources are not powerful enough, they have to be expanded, which can be a major project in its own right.

Example: A fruit and vegetable processing plant is adding a new juice pasteurisation line. The line needs a lot of chilled water to cool the juice quickly after pasteurisation. It turns out that the existing chiller is already running at almost full capacity. Without a second chiller, the new line will not cool the juice fast enough. The line itself fits in the production hall, but the plant does not have enough utility capacity to run it.