MARKET COMPETITIVENESS REQUIRES CONSTANT CONTROL OF PLANT OPERATIONS AND MAINTENANCE COSTS

摘要

With the competitive nature of the electric generation industry, it is becoming more important to maximize the return on investment (ROI) of power plants by optimizing operations and maintenance. The key is to integrate the generation of electricity with a quality asset/maintenance management program. A planned maintenance program can be condition based, preventive or a combination of both. Where equipment can only be offline tor a short period of time and there is a possibility of secondary damage occurring, a condition-based program is recommended. On the other hand, where equipment has backup systems, preventive maintenance carried out at fixed intervals can be utilized. Although maintaining power plant equipment can be costly, it is critical for maintaining high availability and for helping to reduce secondary damage to other equipment and components.