1. Juice concentration and energy balance

The evaporation plant is used to concentrate the pre-evaporation juice (JAE) to a concentration slightly below the saturation point of sucrose, thereby ensuring its preservation after cooling in tanks without the risk of crystallization. The average Brix of the syrup at the end of the concentration process is 68 to 70 g DM/100 g, depending on its purity. The quantities of water to be evaporated are therefore very large.

Energy consumption at sugar refineries could therefore be very high if the entire process had not been optimized over time. The multi-effect evaporation plant is central to the refinery’s energy operations....