U.S. biomass plant recovery
When a rare ‘washout’ scenario forced a U.S. biomass plant offline, an all-hands-on-deck emergency response translated to months of avoided downtime, and a rejuvenation of the plant’s power equipment.
Overview
All-hands-on-deck effort gets biomass plant back online following rare ‘washout’ scenario
The challenge
Industrial power equipment can suffer damage causing a forced shutdown in a variety of scenarios. A less common event occurred with a biomass steam plant in the Southeastern U.S. that was knocked offline by a fire suppression system triggered inadvertently during operation. The system released water that damaged key steam turbine components including the unit’s rotor and numerous blades. Extensive repairs and parts replacement were needed for the unit to resume operation... a combination that in the current high-demand service environment could have resulted in extended downtime. At full load, the plant generates 50+MW of renewable power—burning wood waste material—to generate electricity for its local grid commitments.
The solution
With the operator seeking OEM-quality service, start to finish rapid response and a cost-effective solution, the GE Vernova team stepped up with an all-hands-on-deck effort. This included:
- Expediting activities including engineering analysis, field service mobilization, repairs planning and parts sourcing for components including 32 stages of new turbine blades
- Engaging a trusted third-party service partner to support the execution of rotor repairs in parallel with other outage activities
- And developing a targeted ‘replace-in-kind’ scope that controlled project costs
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Newly installed components reset the clock on the unit’s life cycle by decades, while pushing back its next major inspection 8 years, and minor inspection 5 years. Five outage days that would have been needed for upcoming maintenance were also eliminated.
Outcomes
In comparison to other alternatives, the executed project allowed for a full-load restart several months faster. Newly installed components likewise reset the clock on the turbine generator’s life cycle by decades, while pushing back its next major inspection by 8 years and minor inspection by 5 years. Additionally, five outage days that would have been needed for upcoming maintenance were also eliminated.
Finally, this strategic approach taken by the plant and GE Vernova teams allowed the plant to continue operating its undamaged boiler while the service work was being performed. This enabled the site to continue producing steam and, in turn, generate some electricity for its regional business and government-related customer base.
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