How O&M services are transforming the Indian Power Industry

Harsh Mittal, CMD, Sai Urja Indo Ventures in a recent interaction with Industry Outlook magazine shares his views how O&M service providers are leveraging predictive maintenance to minimize downtime and optimize plant efficiency, key innovations in remote monitoring and automation that are transforming O&M, strategies for thermal and renewable power plants in India and more.

With India’s growing focus on reliable Power Generation, how are O&M service providers leveraging predictive maintenance to minimize downtime and optimize plant efficiency?

Any plant (Power Plant or process plant) needs huge resources to run that has to optimize to get maximum profits. Plants have to run on highest efficiency with maximum availability. For example, in Thermal Power Plants, PLF (Plant Load Factor) = Average power generated/Maximum power that could have been generated (capacity), Availability factor = duration of electricity production/duration planned for electricity production, Heat Rate = Heat Input/Power Generation = KCAL/KWH.

Highest efficiency is the target to achieve, but due to several constraints/limitations, we may have to compromise on “optimum efficiency”.

One of the constraints is the “down time” of the plant or process. This is the resultant of technical snags, breakdown in equipment’s and   auxiliary system.

Technical snags are developed due to mal functioning or ageing of electronic system or mechanical wear and tear.  Sometimes, breakdown happens on account of mal operation by operation team.

Predictive maintenance helps in determining, forecasting the failures and taking preventive actions to mitigate/replace the spare-parts so that breakdown is avoided. By pre-planned maintenance in scheduled down-time the overall availability of system is increased.

Condition monitoring tools with analyzers helps in predictive maintenance. This approach and skill set of O&M service provider is one of the factors affecting down time and optimize plant efficiency.

What key innovations in remote monitoring and automation are transforming O&M, Strategies for thermal and renewable power plants in India?

If we go in to time-lines of development in Power sector or process automation, we find that:

In the initial stages (1960-70), the process operations were from local site, hardly there was remote monitoring and control operations. All operations were done by manpower deployed with their skill set and Consciousness. Therefore, mistakes or wrong assessment/judgement of operators were resulting in to breakdowns.

With developments of solid-state electronics and drive controls with pneumatics, the analog-control operation and control came in to existence. The control rooms were setup with remote-operations.

Automations were built on PID controllers with analog signal processing, monitoring & control from CCR with indicators and recorders.

Later on, sub loop controls and function group controls came into existence with Analog and binary Control systems.

Although, these control systems were reliable but complete information and analytic part was missing. Most of the decisions were taken by expert operations team and technical analysis by maintenance personnels.

c) The era of microprocessors, networking and digitalization has changed whole concept of dependability only on expert opinions. The control system of PLC (Programmer Logic Control and DCS (Digital Control System) evolved in to hug data bank and analyses of data for useful decision making automatically. Smart controllers, cascade controllers and wired/unwired data transmission made all critical controls in to most reliable process management. Smart Transmitters, digital Signal processing, Condition monitoring analyzers, Data loggers, trends, event logs, and maintenance logs help in optimizing the process to best efficiency. Online-efficiency calculation and analytics, maintenance logs give advisory to take predictive maintenance and avoid breakdown's, reducing the down tines.

Extract Reports, Excursion Reports, Dashboards are available to the highest Management digitally, automictically, so decision making and approvals are very fast.

How are evolving regulatory framework and safely Compliances requirements influencing O&M service providers in delivering cost-effective effect and efficient power plant operations?

All the Regulatory frame works of MERC/CERC, Factory-Inspectors, Boiler-Inspectors, Electrical-Inspectors, Environmental regulations (MPCB/CPCB), or any other  central/state laws are equally affecting in the working of O&M service providers.

All power plants/process plants governed by CEA, BEE, MEDA and returns are tiled as per the directions. O&M service providers are responsible for compliances as per the Contractual obligations and work scope defined.

Statute Compliance to labor laws in relation to PF, ESIC, WC Gratuity etc. and financial obligation to GST or other taxes are mandatorily met by service-providers.  Due to digitalization of government offices the excursion reports or violation notices are promptly issued, and accordingly compliance reports are filed.

Safety is at utmost priority, in power plants and process industry. Dedicated safety officers are deployed; safety audits are done; regulations & directions are followed by O&M service providers to provide safety PPEs and behavioral training programs.  Today, most of the plants & Industries are acquiring certifications of IS0 9000/14000/45000/50000, SA8000, ISMS-27000 etc. So accordingly, provisions of EMP, HIRA, EIA, DMPs are defined & implemented.  The O&M service provider is the integral part of all such management systems.  The basic aim of all such regulatory frame works and ISO management systems is to run the plant in safest and cost effective manner, achieving highest efficiency with optimum resources. Legal registers or Legatrix type application software are maintained for monitoring the compliance obligations.

Factory Act, Energy Conservation act, Environment Protection Act, Water Conservation act, labour acts are majorly affecting cost effectiveness and efficiency of power plants.

With ageing power infrastructure being a major challenge, what role do O&M service providers play in life cycle extension and performance optimization of existing assets?

Ageing for anything has no alternative but RLA (Residual Life-cycle Assessment) and R&M (Renovation and Modernization) of   plants, processes, equipment and other electrical and C&I systems are done to enhance the life cycle and increase the performance to optimum level. RLA and R&M are done through OEMs or expert agencies normally through EPC jobs.

However O&M agency has to operate and maintain the plant as per recommendations and SOPs/ SMPs implemented. The operating data monitoring and keeping that within limitation of alerts along with prompt execution of maintenance schedules are the primary responsibilities of O&M service providers. Sometimes R&M activities can enhance capacity utilization and increase in efficiency by way of enhancement in reserve margins and advancement of technological developments.

How are data analytics and AI driven diagnostics reshaping failure prediction models and what impact does this have on reducing unplanned outages?

The bulk data availability with PLC and DCS system, condition monitoring, online equipments/ analyzers helps in predicting the faults so that advance actions on limiting the parameters are taken or spare parts replacements are planned with reduced downtime. For examples - Stress evaluators, vibration/current signature analyzers, thermography analyzers, alarm management system, performance evaluators, smart messaging systems etc. are few advance tools being adopted in Plants for expert diagnosis.

Unplanned outages are reduced by taking proactive actions in operations and maintenance based on results of analytics and AI models.

What emerging trends in O&M services will define the next decade of India’s power sector and how will digitalization accelerate this transformation?

There are two distinct disciplines in power sector or process industry as Operations and Maintenance. Up-till this time, most of the plant operations are with owners/clients with all nodal manpower on the company role. The maintenance (mechanical, electrical and C & I) team leaders and managers are from owners/client and down the line supervisors and field working teams are engaged through award of contracts to qualified agencies. As a future trend, complete O&M contracts are being awarded, although very few agencies are qualified for this.  The operation team has been given a target to run the plant with achievement of parameters e.g. PLF, availability factors, auxiliary consumption, heat rate and efficiency of processes and auxiliaries. Similarly maintenance contracts are awarded to achieve KPI’s (Key Performance Indicators), penalties associated with defaults.

PAT (performance, achieve and trade) is regulatory instrument that helps reduce energy consumption, carbon emission and increase efficiency in industries that use a lot of energy. So all plants/industries have to perform and exceed the targeted benchmarks to get benefitted from the PAT cycle. Digitalization has improved control and monitoring system with advisory for performance optimization. Non-Conventional Energy sources will be dominating, particularly the Solar Energy in next few decades with Battery Storage Mega Plants. AI driven tools, Analytics and smart data management for useful results has become easy due to digitalization.