At SteamDry we are advancing Superheated Steam Drying (SSD) from concept development to full‑scale industrial retrofit solutions. The core objective is to increase installed drying capacity and reduce specific energy consumption and CO₂ emissions, while keeping the existing machine as far as possible.
Three SSD concepts assessed on an industrial board machine
Within the project, three SSD configurations have been evaluated on a representative European packaging board machine: convective SSD, conductive SSD and a combined convective‑conductive SSD concept. Each option has been benchmarked against key KPIs: energy savings at machine level, required investment and payback time, runnability and product quality, and the practical feasibility of retrofitting into existing multicylinder dryer sections.
Why the combined SSD concept is the lead candidate for the first retrofit
The combined SSD concept (convective + conductive) emerges as the lead candidate for the first industrial retrofit. It delivers strong energy savings with acceptable payback, while maintaining robust web handling and product quality and limiting layout changes in the dryer section.
Technically, a high‑intensity convective SSD module with superheated steam impingement is installed at the dryer front end to boost evaporation rate, followed by a conductive cylinder group operated in a steam‑rich environment that reuses part of the exhaust steam. This configuration enables reuse of existing dryer cylinders, reduces total capex compared to a full conductive SSD rebuild, and provides a more attractive retrofit pathway.
Enabling a realistic decarbonisation trajectory
By targeting retrofit‑friendly configurations instead of greenfield installations only, the combined SSD concept supports mill decarbonisation within realistic shutdown windows and investment cycles. Building on established impingement drying experience, the concept lowers technical risk, facilitates scale‑up from pilot to industrial scale, and shortens time to market.