Electric Power Reliability in Chemical Plants

Abstract

The quality and reliability of utility-generated electric power is presently receiving a great deal of attention from the chemical and refining industry. What changes have taken place to make electric power reliability a major topic of discussion at plants across the country? Has the quality and reliability of utility-generated power deteriorated over the past five or ten years? Or, has the perception of what constitutes reliable power changed with the advent, installation, and increasing usage of microprocessor-based equipment and controllers? The differing views held by both parties tend to make their relationship adversarial. Both parties have problems with their individuals views and the associated monetary costs, which can be either a loss or a gain. Improved reliability for the chemical plant means less "off spec" product, thereby resulting in more product to sell. Improved reliability for the utility means less customer downtime, thereby resulting in more KWH sales and a higher capacity factor. The biggest limiting factor to solving the actual problems is the dollar cost associated with that solution. Each solution must have a payback period that meets the economic criteria for return on investment for either the industry or the utility.