Avoiding a Dam Midlife Crisis

2011 NWHA Annual ConferenceScott Larrondo—Idaho Power CompanyManager, Power Plant Engineering & Construction

Hydroelectric System

1. Long-Term Mindset

• Your dams and powerhouses will be operating 50 years from now—include that thought in your decision processes

• Establish an ongoing process to support that thought:– Provide a practical level of staffing to address aging facilities– Provide acceptable financial resources for operation and maintenance

(O&M) measures– Repair wear and damages when warranted—don’t procrastinate– Take advantage of technological improvements– Stay in compliance with new regulations

2. Pick a Long-Term Partner—FERC PRO

• Look at the FERC Dam Safety Program as a risk management and assessment partner– They help identify your largest risks (e.g., system failures)– They help establish a process to review and prevent failures

• Work cooperatively with FERC to achieve the same goal

System Failures

Risk Management and Assessment

• The best prevention for failures is your on-site O&M team• Employees should:

– Feel pride and ownership in their projects– Have significant history at the site– Have specific duties designed to identify system risks

• These duties should include daily, weekly, monthly, and annual inspection and maintenance activities

• Include subject matter experts (SME) to review critical systems• FERC provides a new set of eyes

Examples of Aging Facilities

Examples of Aging Facilities

Examples of Aging Facilities

Examples of Aging Facilities

Examples of Aging Facilities

Examples of Aging Facilities

Examples of AgingFacilities Repairs

• Spillgate repairs and painting• Alkali-silica reaction assessments and concrete repairs• Generator condition assessments and rewinds• Turbine-runner cavitation maintenance and replacement• Potable-water and waste-water system replacements• Dam safety studies and stability improvements• Control system repairs and upgrades• Remote operation and automation• Local service upgrades within power plants

Lessons Learned

• Evaluate access to your facilities, such as dam abutments, spillways, and powerhouses for large equipment

• Provide access and work platforms to repair wear and damages• Dam stability repairs are expensive, make sure you fully

investigate all possibilities before mitigating• Develop condition-based assessment processes to optimize when

repair or replacement is needed

3. Documentationand Records

• Locate, organize, and properly store all old records • Provide your employees with efficient information

and data handling tools– Maintenance management software– Environmental compliance software– FERC dam-safety compliance programs

• Ensure data is easy to input and retrieve• Maintain access to information as software changes

over time