Best Practices

Miguel Perez Ghisays, general manager of the privately held Termocandelaria peaking facility near Cartagena, Colombia, and his talented staff, embrace a process of continual improvement in all facets of operation and maintenance. Readers may recall the plant’s success in converting its two W501FC engines from gas-only to dual fuel in only 11 months after contract […]

We’re supposed to embrace change, but let’s face it, change is unavoidable. It occurs with every passing moment, even if you can’t sense it. So let’s talk about rates of change. In the gas-fired power industry, rates of change may be approaching chaotic effects. That’s the conclusion from 18 one-on-one half-hour interviews conducted over a

Recognized for its Best Practices in Safety and O&M Outage safety benefits from community outreach program People living in the communities near the Tuxpan F-class 2 × 1 combined cycles in Veracruz, Mexico, are a critical resource for the company. Management is concerned that local residents know what to do in an emergency and how

Recognized for its Best Practice in Performance Improvement Steam-turbine rotor/case upgrades and heating system extend outage intervals Lincoln Electric System’s Terry Bundy Generating Station is dispatched primarily to address peaks in the SPP market, resulting in daily on/off cycling. In 2016, the steam-turbine OEM significantly increased the equivalent operating-hour (EOH) factor for cold starts on

Recognized for its Best Practice in O&M and Safety Retrofit air-inlet filter house for emergency egress River Road Generating Plant (RRGP), 1 × 1 F-class combined cycle operated by GE for Clark Public Utilities and managed by PM Todd Gatewood, was built in 1996-1997. The legacy four-level air-inlet filter house was installed with no emergency

Recognized for its Best Practice in Performance Improvement Water-wash program gives year-round benefit A new powerplant with no leaking valves and latest-technology equipment generally doesn’t have to be concerned with losing a few points in its heat rate. Add 15 years of operation and that measurement of plant efficiency takes on a whole new meaning.

Recognized for its Best Practice pertaining to Electrical Systems Upgrades to non-segregated bus duct help prevent faults Two electrical faults occurred on a 13.8-kV bus within five years at Minnesota Municipal Power Agency’s Minnesota River Station, operated by NAES Corp. In both incidents, the solid copper bus and ductwork sustained extensive damage, resulting in lengthy

Recognized for its Best Practice in Outage Management Self-performing combustion inspections strengthens plant’s bottom line The days of having long-term service agreements (LTSAs) that coexist with power purchase agreements (PPAs) are vanishing. Many of these contracts in older facilities have expired or are approaching expiration. Private-equity firms with stakes in these plants are looking at

Recognized for Best Practices in Environmental Management and Safety Design hazardous-spill response plan for worst-case scenario Nearly all plants have a plan for addressing hazardous spills. Many, like 801-MW Green Country Energy (GCE), owned by J-Power USA and operated by NAES Corp, have a comprehensive spill-prevention control and countermeasures plan that identifies areas where spills

Recognized for Best Practices in O&M, Safety, Workforce Development, Outage Management Foam inserts prevent air flow through offline gas turbines When gas turbines (GT) are shut down for extended periods in Georgia, the high humidity and natural draft through the HRSGs creates problematic condensation on tube fins. Rusting occurs, especially when water is still present