Plant System Strategies:

“The System Engineer is at all times required to have a thorough understanding of the strategies contained in his plant system’s Maintenance Strategy”. [15]

To ensure that the correct maintenance activities were being carried out, it was necessary for the System Engineer to be intimately familiar with the strategies for his particular system.

“On an annual basis the System Engineer must review personally the PM’s derived from the strategies and ensure they are appropriate. This needs to be documented to show this review has been carried out”.

To ensure that the strategies remained relevant to the system it the System Engineer has to review the System Strategy on an annual basis [19].

“System Engineers must ensure that they are aware of similar peer station plant system strategies to ensure maximized cross pollination”.

As the majority of the Power Station designs are similar and in some cases identical System Engineers are encouraged to view other Power Station strategies. This would ensure effective cross pollination of strategies across the Power Stations [19].

“Generation will have Generic Component Strategies which will be compiled as Templates for implementation throughout the organisation, as applicable”.

As the Power Stations were built within a relatively short space of time from each other many of the Power Stations have similar if not identical components. This

A Case Study on the Development of and Asset Management Process within the Eskom Fossil Fired Power Stations with Emphasis on Reliability Basis Optimisation

64 allowed for the development of generic strategies that identified the generic failure mode as well as the strategies to mitigate these failures. These strategies could then be used at Power Stations that had these components. It also allowed for standardisation of the maintenance practices [19].

“Plant System Maintenance Strategies will comprise of the individual Generation Generic Component Strategies, which will become the essential building blocks of the Reliability Basis”.

Strategies will be developed for individual component using the GGCS’s to ensure that every component had a strategy associated with it. These strategies with then form the Reliability Basis for the specific system.

“Plant System Maintenance Strategies will include a complete list of system components (e.g. pump, valve, breaker, etc.).”

“For each system component, the component type will be identified (e.g. single stage centrifugal pump) to facilitate the application of Generation Generic Component Strategies”.

For the GGCS’s to be effective they need to be applied to the correct component. By correctly identifying the component being analysed the correct GGCS can be applied [19].

“For each system component, the functional importance will be determined. The input of plant Operating personnel must be considered”.

The functional importance evaluation determines the frequency at which maintenance tasks will be executed.

“As a minimum, components will be categorized as critical, non-critical or Run-to- Failure (RTF)”.

Component categorisation will determine the type and frequency of the maintenance intervention to be executed.

A Case Study on the Development of and Asset Management Process within the Eskom Fossil Fired Power Stations with Emphasis on Reliability Basis Optimisation

65 RTF interventions must be documented for understanding of why the RTF philosophy has been followed on a component.

“In the absence of a Generation Generic Component Strategy, the Site shall develop an appropriate component strategy based on a Failure Mode Analysis (FMA) methodology and appropriate task selection and task packaging”.

“Site staff performing RBO analyses should be trained in the process and the application of the GGCS. Participating RBO analysis team members should have relevant plant system experience in order to contribute effectively to the analysis”.

To ensure that the team analysing a specific system contributes effectively to the development of the system strategy the team needs to be trained on the RBO process as well as how to apply a GGCS. This training is typically carried out at the beginning of all new system analyses.

“Plant System Strategies shall be approved by the Engineering Manager or equivalent and changes to the Strategy shall be formally documented and controlled”.

Engineering is responsible for strategy development and as such sign off from the Engineering Manager provides the assurance to the Power Station Manager that the most effective maintenance strategy is being applied throughout the Power Station.

“Following approval of the Plant System Strategy by the Engineering Manager, the relevant PM’s and SMP’s will be compiled and implemented. The System Engineer is accountable to ensure this compilation is carried out. SMP’s will be compiled by the Maintenance department”.

The System Engineer needs to ensure that the strategy developed for a system is converted in PM’s as PM’s will ensure that the developed strategy is executed.

“The System Engineers will be responsible for the approval of any deviations (waiver of requirements) to the implemented Maintenance Strategy requirements and must follow the Site approval process”.

A Case Study on the Development of and Asset Management Process within the Eskom Fossil Fired Power Stations with Emphasis on Reliability Basis Optimisation

66 The System engineer needs to ensure that he is aware of any changes to the System Strategy. This principle further concretes the System Engineer’s responsibility towards his system.