Intertek to share industry-leading expertise during utility and power events

June 04, 2018

Santa Clara, CA - Intertek, a leading Total Quality Assurance provider to industries worldwide, will be discussing power plant cycling and best practices for asset integrity management at four upcoming utility and power conferences.  
 
As more renewable energy sources are added to the electricity grid, traditional fossil, nuclear, and hydro power plants must operate with greater flexibility, or ‘cycling’.  Increased cycling not only contributes to more forced outages, lower fuel efficiency, and potential diminished unit life as equipment operates beyond its design capabilities, but it also increases the risk of asset failure, costs for operations and maintenance, and capital replacement spend.
 
Upcoming events at which our experts will be presenting include:  Electric Power Research Institute’s (EPRI) Flexible Operations Conference from June 6 - 8; NALCO Water’s (an Ecolab company) Impact of Cycling Power Conference on June 12; Rocky Mountain Electrical’s (RMEL) Steam Generation Cycling Symposium on June 14; and The American Society of Mechanical Engineers’ (ASME) Resolving the Challenges of Power Plant Cycling executive workshop on June 25.
 
Nikhil Kumar, Managing Director of Asset Integrity Management (AIM) at Intertek, is an industry expert on the cost of cycling for power plants.  During his presentations at the EPRI and RMEL conferences, Mr. Kumar will discuss the Cost-Benefit Analysis of Flexibility Retrofits for Coal and Gas-Fueled Power Plants as well as the Economics of Power Plant Cycling and Aging (including reliability assessment).  
 
Douglas Hilleman, P.E. and AIM Regional Technical Manager at Intertek, will share his expertise gained from 48 years of experience in the power generation industry.  Speaking at the EPRI, ASME, and NALCO events and discussing Power Plant Cost of Cycling and Real-Time Monitoring of Cycling Damage, Mr. Hilleman will provide industry-leading insight into how plant operators can mitigate and manage cycling damage while keeping operations running safely, reliably, and efficiently.  
 
Mr. Hilleman stated: “Intertek’s extensive industry expertise across utility and power generation sectors delivers Total Quality Assurance to our customers.  As demand continues to increase for technical expertise that helps operators maintain assets while delivering optimal performance, conferences and symposiums such as these are important events that provide a platform for collaboration and sharing of best practices.  We are excited to be participating and discussing our trusted expertise that ensures customers’ assets operate safely and reliably.”
 
About Cost of Cycling
*Cycling--the operation of electric-generating units at varying load levels including starting and stopping, load following, and minimum load operation--causes additional and more rapid wear and tear of power plant components. Intertek is a leading expert in determining the cost of cycling power plants, managing asset reliability, and providing guidelines including countermeasures to minimize equipment damage and improve operational reliability while cycling to meet the customers’ demands.
 
About Asset Integrity Management (AIM)
Effective AIM programs manage corporate assets to gain maximum value from those assets while safeguarding personnel, the community, and the environment. AIM strategies are an ongoing activity, managing risk and safety throughout the life cycle of an asset, while adjusting to current and future challenges that may impact the asset's and the owner's stated goals. Intertek provides specialists and engineering support in all areas of Asset Integrity Management, including design, process safety, mechanical integrity, inspection and maintenance, operational and process support, corrosion, metallurgy, and risk analysis.

FOR MEDIA INFORMATION:

Please contact
Niki Schroeder
Global Marketing Manager
1.281.364.2897
niki.schroeder@intertek.com

FOR TECHNICAL INFORMATION:

Please contact
Nikhil Kumar
Managing Director, Asset Integrity Management
1.408.203.8209
nikhil.kumar@intertek.com
 

About Intertek

Intertek is a leading Total Quality Assurance provider to industries worldwide. Through our network of more than 1,000 laboratories and offices and over 43,000 people in more than 100 countries, the Group is re-defining the industry with our Total Quality Assurance proposition. We go beyond physical quality control to provide total peace of mind through our innovative and bespoke Assurance, Testing, Inspection and Certification solutions for our customers’ operations and supply chains. Intertek Total Quality Assurance expertise, delivered consistently, with precision, pace and passion, enabling our customers to power ahead safely.
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