Feature Impacts on Coal Power Plant Reliability

Abstract

Various strategic management planning in South Africa have revolved around reliability of coal fired power generating plants. This is due to challenging factors of power plant reliability like aging infrastructure, low maintenance, unplanned outages, forced outages and increasing electricity demand in South Africa. The method used in this study to collect data is qualitative and quantitative research methods. Qualitative research method is used to collect information by conducting Delphi technique survey from technical personnel which are Managers, Engineers, Technologists, Technician as well as Artisans. Quantitative research method is utilized to collect information from power utility’s historical plant breakdowns and failure records. Historical records are retrieved from database, plant failure reports and SAP plant maintenance program. Results indicates that forced draught plant contributed 33,61% unplanned capability loss factor for the month of September 2021, followed by the milling plant with 20,08% energy loss. Moreover, fabric filter plant contributed 16,25% to unplanned capability loss factor and mills control contributed 7,74% to energy losses. The results also indicated that poor maintenance, spares unavailability, lack of training and skills shortages are some of the major contributing factors to plant breakdowns and failures. In addition, the study has revealed that corrective maintenance strategy used by the power utility is futile, ineffective, and inappropriate strategy