Palm oil industry is one of the largest users of thermal energy in the agroindustrial sector, particularly in Southeast Asia. At the mill level, most of the energy is generated in the form of saturated steam produced by biomass-fired boilers, using fiber, shell and empty bunch (EFB) as the main fuel. This steam energy is required for several critical process stations such as sterilization, decomposition, pressing and oil purification. However, the literature shows that a large part of this thermal energy is not fully utilized and is eventually released to the atmosphere as exhaust steam or other waste heat. In the context of sterilization, steam use is usually designed to ensure oil quality and microbiological safety, but traditional process controls rarely take into account energy recovery from the vent and blow-down phases. At the same time, issues of greenhouse gas emissions, particulate emissions from boilers and seasonal fuel constraints reinforce the need to improve steam efficiency in palm oil mills. Therefore, research into the potential for recovering exhaust steam from sterilizers should be seen as part of a broader agenda to reduce heat waste and improve the sustainability of the palm oil supply chain.