Risk Based Assessments

HRL Technology has undertaken risk based inspection at power stations throughout South East Asia and Australia, to understand critical component with life limiting issues and/or recommendation of extension of  inspection interval where required in accordance with the local statutory regulations. In many instances the RBI leads to identification of emerging issues and an opportunity to develop a targeted asset management programs, identifying required works and/or options for improvement, and developing budgetary estimates and programs for such activity. 

With limited inspection budget, it is often necessary to optimise inspection schedules and resources through risk based approach and the processes are used to better define the plant inspection and NDT requirements to feed into the maintenance program over the life of the station or to prepare for replacements where directed by the process.  Most importantly, the assessments are undertaken to ensure the safe use of at risk component to continue operation economically and reliably until a scheduled outage. 

As power stations are approaching their end of design life, power station asset managers are responsible for the continued safe operation of plant while maximising plant availability with minimum cost.  Our independent risk based inspection are equipped to identify the life limiting component in a power plant for current and future operation

The opportunities are:

• Minimise asset downtime due to forced outages         
• Maximise plant availability for revenue generation

Risk based  inspection can be used to:

• Identify plant areas of concern for future inspection work
• Identify components requiring replacement or repair for budget requirements
• Determine effect on plant due to changed operating conditions such as cycling or two-shifting
• Provision of a second opinion to OEM directives for replacement
• Assessment of return to service of damaged plant while replacement parts are manufactured
• Assessment of defects found during inspections and known design issues with existing components

RBI provides the following benefits:

• Provides detailed plant information
• Facilitates informed decisions to be made about the plant
• Identifies high risk plant
• Assists inspection programs
• Justification for increasing inspection interval periods
• Determines plant damage for current and future use
• Assists defect tolerance assessments when defects or cracking is found
• Provides a fully independent plant review
• Assists plant risk assessments
• Meeting insurance requirement

Our assessments are performed using current industry methods based on AS Standards, ASME, R5/R6, API 579 and British Standards