If your contact details have changed, please contact riskwise@twi.co.uk

RISKWISE to be implemented on JEV 1400MW coal-fired power plant in Malaysia

JEV Power Plant under construction March 2008

TWI has been contracted to perform a risk-based inspection (RBI) study at JEV Power Plant in Malaysia. The RM6bn (£1bn) 1,400MW coal-fired Jimah plant, owned by Jimah Energy Ventrures Sdn Bhd is located at Mukim Jimah in Negeri Sembilan, Malaysia.

The plant is due to enter commercial operation in January 2009. Working closely with Jimah O&M Sdn Bhd (JOM), the O&M contractor for the plant, TWI will implement RISKWISE for Boilers version 4 on the two 700MW boilers. The primary objective of the three-year project is to maximise the reliability of the boiler plant by reducing the risk exposure to unplanned or forced outages. At the same time, the work aims to achieve an extension to statutory inspection intervals compliant with Dept of Safety & Health requirements. The early implementation of RBI at this plant is to establish the baseline condition as a reference for future inspection and assessment.

The project will be led by TWI Services out of TWI's South East Asia offices in Kuala Lumpur.

Chemical plants in Malaysia choose RISKWISE for Process Plant

Polyplastics plant

RISKWISE for Process Plants is being adopted by Malaysian chemical companies, Polyplastics Asia Pacific Sdn Bhd and Dairen Chemical (M) Sdn Bhd. These are the latest organisations in the Malaysian chemical sector to choose RISKWISE which is being implemented through TWI Services Sdn Bhd. Both companies are using RISKWISE in order to gain Regulator approval for extensions to statutory inspection intervals.

ALERT - Safety and reliability concerns with P91 Pressure Vessels and Piping

P91 fabrication quality audit performed for CCGT plant HRSGs at Sohar Aluminium Co. in Oman

TWI has recently placed an article on its website to ensure that power plant operators are alerted to the current industry concerns regarding the integrity of Grade 91 steel piping and boiler headers in elevated temperature service.

Grade 91 steel was introduced in the 1980s as an advanced ferritic steel and has been used extensively since then as P91 in high temperature headers and steam piping in new plant as well as in retrofit refurbishment applications.

Evidence from recent premature weld failures in P91 steel together with long term data on cross-weld samples now suggests that design may be non-conservative for P91 welded pressure vessels and piping. Incidences of cracking in P91 welds have been reported in times significantly less than 100,000 hours leading to safety and reliability concerns worldwide.

Characteristic premature weld failure

As a result, ASME has introduced a reduction in the allowable stress for P91 welded pipe. Consequently, the stress imposed on a welded pipe currently being commissioned or in service is greater that which is now allowable. In turn, the expected lifetime may be reduced considerably.

The performance of P91 components is also highly sensitive to fabrication heat treatment and there have been instances where improper quality control has led to worries regarding premature failure.

TWI is using RISKWISE to amass an industry experience database in this area with the aim of assisting plant operators to assess the risk of premature failure.

TWI is also providing a P91 Fabrication Quality Audit Service to assist new plant operators to address this issue.

To find out more on all the above, contact brian.cane@twi.co.uk or sayee.raghunathan@twi.co.uk

RISKWISE for Process Plant is successful in Iran

Amir Kabir Petrochemical Co. (AKPC), a multi-product petrochemical plant is situated at the North West coast line of the Persian Gulf. The AKPC site operates four production units. In line with AKPC's strategy for best-practice inspection and maintenance optimisation, the High Density Polyethylene (HDPE) unit, with 140,000 tonnes production per year, was nominated for a risk based inspection study as the industry best practice approach. The study, which used RISKWISE for Process Plant was carried out interactively between AKPC and TWI.

An overall inspection and maintenance plan targeting all critical equipment was formulated to ensure the safe operating interval of 48 months is achieved after the overhaul. It is expected that the RBI system will be extended to other units at the plant and will help to satisfy all aspects of AKPC's Management of Change and Integrity Management Strategy.

If you no longer wish to receive this newsletter, please send an empty email to riskwise@twi.co.uk with 'unsubscribe riskwise' in the subject line