MPR Develops Reliability Centered Fleet Operation & Maintenance Budget Forecast
Challenge
The client desired improved unit reliability and power production to achieve management defined objectives when faced with changing expenditures to match corporate goals.
Solution
MPR performed a review of all the fossil fuel generating assets, including coal and fuel oil fired steam generating units, and combustion turbines firing various fuels to provide a condition-based assessment of the budgetary plan required to support the system reliability goals. The scope of the MPR effort included:
- Developing concise technical definitions of reliability as basis for evaluation
- Reviews of reliability history and existing projections
- Benchmarking unit performance against sister units
- Interviews with plant and technical support personnel concerning unit condition
- Walk-down inspections of units
- Technical review of outage causes and root cause evaluations
- Review of project budgets
- Evaluation of environmental compliance plans and potential for future requirements
- Independent estimates of unit reliability and investment related to system/component material condition
Results
This plan directly addressed the challenge of achieving management defined objectives for unit reliability and power production when faced with changing expenditures to match corporate goals. Demonstrating how the reliability of the plants was impacted by the plant age, current condition, and budgetary decisions, MPR provided a basis for rational decision making on utility priorities and expectations. Separate plans were provided to identify how specific gains in reliability could be achieved at each facility by funding specific areas of need. This independent assessment of the priorities between plants and specific projects was important to directing resources where they were most needed. This plan also provided a basis for demonstrating the importance of investment in the fossil generating units compared to the nuclear generating station priorities.