Enhancing Power Plant Performance

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

“Many power plants are challenged with aging equipment and workforces that were built and staffed 10, 20 or more years ago,” according to William O’Brien, Vice President, Engineering & Operations, Entegra Power Group. Utilizing effective staffing concepts combined with a comprehensive maintenance program should allow the plants to continue operating efficiently well beyond their designed life cycle, he adds.

A speaker at the upcoming marcus evans Power Plant Management Summit 2012, in Wheeling, Illinois, October 15-17, O’Brien shares his views on effectively developing and implementing multi-skill work teams to help meet the industry challenges and to preserve and enhance power plant performance.

How can plant managers improve efficiency and optimize aging plants?

Many power plants are challenged with aging equipment that was installed decades ago combined with a very high percentage of maturing workforces that are set to retire within the next 10 years. Plant managers must continue creative maintenance efforts while developing and implementing long-term maintenance plans to allow equipment to operate reliably into and beyond their golden years. This will require a significant planning process to maintain the integrity of operational assets, as well as maintaining the effectiveness of the workforce operating and maintaining the plants.

What are the latest regulations and mandates that will have an impact on the industry?

Current regulatory developments designed to protect the bulk electric system relative to safety and reliability are important to the integrity of the system. Unfortunately, there has been some over reaction to incidents and the result is over-regulation in many sectors of the industry. Meeting and then maintaining compliance with these regulations takes considerable planning and costs a significant amount of money. All plants are obligated to comply with these regulations but often do not have the capability to pass those costs on to the customer. Therefore, the costs must be consumed in their bottom line.

Do you believe plant safety needs to be improved?

Safety of employees and operating equipment is always regarded with the highest priority and the compliance process is continuous. Owners and operators of power plants must always be held accountable for their actions.

To continuously maintain safety standards, all organizations must place a major emphasis on making sure that all employees are well trained, are aware of the hazards and are capable of working in the environments they are placed in. This often requires retraining the same employees again and again as things change.

The industry is currently challenged with an aging workforce. What should power plant managers do?

The most powerful tool that any organization has is its workers. In the next 10 years, the experience base in the industry will suffer significantly, as a very large percentage of the workforce will reach retirement age. Companies must design and implement programs now to be prepared to replenish the experience base from within their ranks whenever possible so that they are positioned to be successful going forward. Companies and plant managers should work hand in hand with the various educational systems, especially in their local areas, to develop supporting curriculums and encourage students to take career paths that will help the industry stay ahead of the game. Being successful does not have to mean you are a Doctor, lawyer or engineer and it is time we communicate the fact that being an operator, technician or mechanic can be a very attractive and prosperous career. 

Contact: Stacey Melvin, Journalist, marcus evans, Summits Division

Tel: + 357 22 849 400
Email: press@marcusevanscy.com

About the Power Plant Management Summit 2012

This unique forum will take place at the Westin Chicago North Shore, Wheeling, Illinois, October 15-17, 2012. Offering much more than any conference, exhibition or trade show, this exclusive meeting will bring together esteemed industry thought leaders and solution providers to a highly focused and interactive networking event. The Summit includes presentations on moving towards optimization, supplying power in a reliable manner, and minimizing risks.

For more information please send an email to info@marcusevanscy.com or visit the event website

marcus evans group – environment/utilities/ energy sector portal

The Energy Network – marcus evans Summits group delivers peer-to-peer information on strategic matters, professional trends and breakthrough innovations.

Please note that the Summit is a closed business event and the number of participants strictly limited.

About marcus evans Summits

marcus evans Summits are high level business forums for the world’s leading decision-makers to meet, learn and discuss strategies and solutions. Held at exclusive locations around the world, these events provide attendees with a unique opportunity to individually tailor their schedules of keynote presentations, think tanks, seminars and one-on-one business meetings. For more information, please visit www.marcusevans.com

All rights reserved. The above content may be republished or reproduced. Kindly inform us by sending an email to press@marcusevanscy.com

Prospering in the Petrochemical & Refining Sector

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

While oil spills and refinery explosions can be harmful to the surrounding areas, they can be catastrophic for the company itself. In today’s environment where Petrochemical and Refining industry executives are attempting to meet the surging demand for petroleum products, having serious environmental issues, shutdowns and blackouts are not an option.

The marcus evans Petrochemical & Refining Summit 2012, taking place in San Antonio, Texas, July 16-17, will draw attention to the most pressing business challenges and opportunities through innovative summit sessions and keynote presentations.

The premium event will provide essential insights from market leaders, such as S. Shariq Yosufzai, Vice President at Chevron Corporation, who will talk on the future of transportation fuels. Dr Bryan W. Shaw, Chairman at the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, will also be present to discuss updates on environmental and regulatory changes at the state and federal levels.

Steve Starke, Executive Vice President at Kaneka North America LLC, will share his views on effective plant leadership, while Beth Ballard, Director, Engineering & Technology at TPC Group will discuss how to increase energy portfolio returns.

In addition, Michelle Michot Foss, Chief Energy Economist at The University of Texas at Austin will provide an overview of the natural gas market, and Ben Hopkins, Plant Manager at DSM Coating Resins will talk on developing a culture of servant leadership.

The unique two-day Petrochemical & Refining Summit 2012 program includes presentations on improving plant safety while reducing the risk of shutdowns, supporting advanced control and optimization systems, and creating a maintenance plan that is effective. The exclusive event will offer Petrochemical and Refining executives a chance to stay ahead of the market through networking activities with thought leaders and senior decision-making executives.

Petrochemical executives are faced with aging equipment; therefore plant management and asset reliability have become more important than ever. There must be increased capacity, with more attention to safety and improving operations of equipment and machinery. By investing in innovative technologies and compliance mechanisms, plants can remain competitive in today’s marketplace.

Contact: Stacey Melvin, Journalist, marcus evans, Summits Division

Tel: + 357 22 849 400
Email: press@marcusevanscy.com

About the Petrochemical & Refining Summit 2012

This unique forum will take place at The Westin La Cantera Resort, San Antonio, Texas, July 16-17, 2012. Offering much more than any conference, exhibition or trade show, this exclusive meeting will bring together esteemed industry thought leaders and solution providers to a highly focused and interactive networking event. The Summit includes presentations on investing resources into innovative technologies, plant reliability solutions, and remaining competitive in today’s petrochemical and refining marketplace.

For more information please send an email to info@marcusevanscy.com or visit the event website

marcus evans group – environment/utilities/ energy sector portal

The Energy Network – marcus evans Summits group delivers peer-to-peer information on strategic matters, professional trends and breakthrough innovations.

Please note that the Summit is a closed business event and the number of participants strictly limited.

About marcus evans Summits

marcus evans Summits are high level business forums for the world’s leading decision-makers to meet, learn and discuss strategies and solutions. Held at exclusive locations around the world, these events provide attendees with a unique opportunity to individually tailor their schedules of keynote presentations, think tanks, seminars and one-on-one business meetings. For more information, please visit www.marcusevans.com 

All rights reserved. The above content may be republished or reproduced. Kindly inform us by sending an email to press@marcusevanscy.com

Boosting Asset Reliability in the Energy Sector 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Metal wastage from erosion and corrosion can lead to expensive unscheduled downtime, the costly repair or replacement of critical equipment and machinery, and potentially unsafe working conditions, says Richard Crawford, President, Integrated Global Services.

From a solution provider at the upcoming marcus evans Petrochemical & Refining Summit 2012 and Power Plant Management Summit 2012, Crawford discusses environmental health and safety and energy management optimization.

How can efficiency be increased in the petrochemical, refining and generation space?

Plant managers are being asked to produce more with the same aging equipment that was used 10, 20 and even 50 years ago. They are also being challenged with the increasing amount of heavier and sourer fuels.

Industry executives believe that there is a need to move into alternative fuels that are cheaper or have a less intrusive environmental footprint; however, they must also continue focusing on operating with conventional fuels more efficiently.

There is now immense pressure to do more with less. The continued investment in technology improvements for increased throughput, efficiency, and reliability will become increasingly important over the next few years.  

How could they protect their assets?

Addressing the issue of metal wastage from erosion and corrosion is essential, as it can lead to expensive unscheduled downtime, the costly repair of equipment and potentially unsafe working conditions. A well designed surface protection system involving customized shop-applied or onsite thermal spray, weld overlay, and ceramic coatings can extend an asset’s lifespan and lessen maintenance expenses within the constraints of even the shortest plant shutdowns. Plant operators must carefully consider these alternatives to traditional epoxies and an operate-until-failure approach to avoid unexpected vessel or boiler wall thinning and the associated costs of operating without a preventative maintenance strategy. 

Perhaps the most important point is that when machinery fails due to corrosion or erosion, it is critical to investigate the issue and address the root cause of the failure, and to lay the groundwork for a more reliable outcome going forward. 

What environmental concerns should plant managers focus on?

It is critical that plant managers perform risk assessments to anticipate the likelihood and impact of related risks specific to the plant. Obviously, a sour gas processing plant has a dramatically different set of potential environmental concerns than an oil burning power plant. Most visible environmental risks need to be addressed at the corporate level, as the political impact of an environmental mistake can literally destroy a company’s ability to operate flexibly. The effects of another large spill or explosion at a domestic refinery would be disastrous to efforts to maximize domestic extraction and production, so there is a strong need for this kind of proactive approach to risk management.  

How can plant safety be improved?

As a multi-national contractor, we have benefitted from being able to witness different safety programs across industry and geography. In whatever format they are implemented, behavior-based safety should be implemented, particularly in culturally diverse international workforces. In the petrochemical and refining space, we have seen that many plant-specific programs are often quite specific to a plant, which makes it challenging to introduce new service providers to their own way of doing things.

However, on the generation side, contractors find it easier to get up to speed with all requirements regarding safety and efficiency, perhaps because they are more acclimated to the process of packaging the requirements and instructing new providers.

Contact: Stacey Melvin, Journalist, marcus evans, Summits Division

Tel: + 357 22 849 400
Email: press@marcusevanscy.com

For more information please send an email to info@marcusevanscy.com or visit the event websites below:

Petrochemical & Refining Summit 2012

Power Plant Management Summit 2012

marcus evans group – environment/utilities/ energy sector portal

The Energy Network – marcus evans Summits group delivers peer-to-peer information on strategic matters, professional trends and breakthrough innovations.

Please note that the Summit is a closed business event and the number of participants strictly limited.

About Integrated Global Services

Integrated Global Services (IGS) provides surface protection solutions for mission-critical equipment. IGS’ integrated service offering of Metalspray®, weld overlay, large particle ash (LPA) filtration, and mechanical services helps power, oil and gas, paper, and other critical processing companies operate their equipment reliably and safely.  A world leader in onsite thermal spray with over 2,000 successful projects completed, IGS offers proprietary materials and application processes and experienced project management for dependable assistance in planned or emergency shutdowns.

www.integratedglobal.com

About marcus evans Summits

marcus evans Summits are high level business forums for the world’s leading decision-makers to meet, learn and discuss strategies and solutions. Held at exclusive locations around the world, these events provide attendees with a unique opportunity to individually tailor their schedules of keynote presentations, think tanks, seminars and one-on-one business meetings. For more information, please visit www.marcusevans.com

All rights reserved. The above content may be republished or reproduced. Kindly inform us by sending an email to press@marcusevanscy.com

Ensuring Smart Power Capacity Choices in Asia

Dr. Weerakorn Ongsakul, a speaker at the marcus evans Power Generation APAC Summit 2012, on the expansion of clean energy in Asia. Interview with: Dr. Weerakorn Ongsakul, Associate Professor and Dean, School of Environment, Resources and Development, Asian Institute of Technology

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

The APAC energy sector is entering a time of unparalleled growth and opportunity, says Dr. Weerakorn Ongsakul, Associate Professor and Dean, School of Environment, Resources and Development, Asian Institute of Technology. “It is now the time to focus on the implementation of clean energy, solar power and renewables,” he adds.

A speaker at the marcus evans Power Generation APAC Summit 2012, taking place in Macao, China, 28 – 30 May, Ongsakul shares his views on how Asian utilities can achieve a sustainable and environmentally friendly outcome.

There is an unprecedented demand for power supply in Asia, how can utilities reach this target?

The economic growth of emerging countries in Asia has created this high energy demand. The region has over three billion inhabitants, which is more than the US and Europe combined.

The Asian market is seeing more and more single buyers enter the electric distribution sector to employ long-term power agreements, as they are able to accommodate the growth in the generation space.

Why should utilities consider deploying smart technologies?

Utilities must invest more heavily into smart grid technologies. This will give them the power to set accurate prices, and the public can then respond to that. It will also reduce the pressure on the generation capacity, which is becoming difficult and expensive to expand.

What power capacity choices should be made to spark the foundation for a sustainable and prosperous future?

The only way to meet the high growth of demand is through clean coal generation, solar power and renewable energy.

In Thailand, we have been working on a clean energy programme for the past 20 years, where we are promoting more efficient coal generation and renewable sources of energy in all industries. This is a continuous process, but with the increasing price of crude oil, climate change and environmental concerns, we have no other choice.

How can Asian utilities achieve a sustainable and environmentally friendly outcome?

We must promote renewable sources of energy. They may be expensive, but when you take into consideration the environmental concerns, they are well worth it.

Asian countries should include the implementation of clean energy into their governmental policies. This is the only way to ensure a strong commitment to clean energy. It may go against economic growth, but it will allow them to prosper in the long-term.

Energy utilities do not have to wait until the world runs out of fossil fuels to start utilising cleaner resources, as it may already be too late.

Contact: Stacey Melvin, Journalist, marcus evans, Summits Division

Tel: + 357 22 849 400
Email: press@marcusevanscy.com

About the Power Generation APAC Summit 2012

This unique forum will take place at The Venetian Macao Resort Hotel, Macao, China, 28 – 30 May 2012. Offering much more than any conference, exhibition or trade show, this exclusive meeting will bring together esteemed industry thought leaders and solution providers to a highly focused and interactive networking event. The Summit includes visionary presentations and interactive forums on unprecedented growth in the APAC energy sector, the foundation for a sustainable and prosperous future and cutting back on dirty fuel consumption.

For more information please send an email to info@marcusevanscy.com or visit the event website at www.apacpowergen.com

marcus evans group – environment/utilities/ energy sector portal

The Energy Network – marcus evans Summits group delivers peer-to-peer information on strategic matters, professional trends and breakthrough innovations.

Please note that the Summit is a closed business event and the number of participants strictly limited.

About marcus evans Summits
 
marcus evans Summits are high level business forums for the world’s leading decision-makers to meet, learn and discuss strategies and solutions. Held at exclusive locations around the world, these events provide attendees with a unique opportunity to individually tailor their schedules of keynote presentations, think tanks, seminars and one-to-one business meetings. For more information, please visit www.marcusevans.com

All rights reserved. The above content may be republished or reproduced. Kindly inform us by sending an email to press@marcusevanscy.com

Ensuring Safety and Security in Power Generation

Brian Mulcahy from HIMA Australia, a sponsor company at the marcus evans Power Generation APAC Summit 2012, on reducing hazards and risks when working with power generation assets.  Interview with: Brian Mulcahy, Managing Director, HIMA Australia

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

“With increasing living standards in Asia, it is important that companies build assets that are able to achieve their design purpose,” says Brian Mulcahy, Managing Director, HIMA Australia. As living standards improve, so does public awareness of safety and its perception of a reliable supply.

From a safety system engineering company at the marcus evans Power Generation APAC Summit 2012, taking place in Macao, China, 28 – 30 May, Mulcahy discusses the need for diversifying systems in power generation assets.

How can power generation systems be designed around safety?

There are three primary drivers in process safety: safety of the public and the employees working with the asset, protection of the environment and the protection of the asset itself.

Safety has to do with having the right mindset. When people think of safety, they think of occupational health, preventing slips and falls – wearing hard hats and safety boots. There must be more focus on delivering mission critical safety systems.

When designing a plant, it is essential to think of all the things that could create an unsafe condition. Process safety is about preventing the “incidents”. The first step is to endeavour to design an inherently safe plant by engineering out risks wherever possible. Where this may not be possible, safety engineers should attempt to reduce the likelihood of an unsafe condition through the application of high integrity control equipment in order to reduce the likelihood of a potentially catastrophic incident.

What are some practical methods for reducing hazards and risks when using machinery?

The best place to start is early in the design stage of a project. Try to design out the risks where possible by employing inherently safe design. Next, ensure that your safety system achieves its purpose. If at all possible, ensure that you do not have common cause faults that can erode system integrity.

By way of comparison, most people recognise that if they have an investment portfolio, they should not invest all of their funds in one asset class. They recognise the value of diversity for security purposes. The same applies in process safety. If an automation vendor supplies the control system for the machine, overall process safety could be compromised if the same vendor also supplies the safety system. This is not a good practice.

How can power generation executives impact their company’s bottom line?

It is crucial that power stations do not shut down. Under all circumstances they must remain operational and keep generating power to guarantee supply. Having a safety system that aids a company to improve system reliability and plant uptime without comprising safety performance can have a huge impact on the bottom line.

The US Secretary of State recently used the term “Pacific century” and highlighted that much foreign policy and politics will be geared towards the growth that is likely to occur in Asia over the next few years. Indeed – Asia is booming!

Closely associated with this economic development, will be a rapid rise in the standard of living and expectations of millions of people throughout Asia. It is important therefore that companies build assets that will meet these future expectations. The reliability and safety of crucial infrastructure such as power generation is fundamental to achieving this goal. As living standards improve, so does public awareness of safety and its perception of a reliable supply.

Contact:
Stacey Melvin
Journalist
marcus evans, Summits Division
Tel: + 357 22 849 400
Email: press@marcusevanscy.com

About the Power Generation APAC Summit 2012

This unique forum will take place at The Venetian Macao Resort Hotel, Macao, China, 28 – 30 May 2012. Offering much more than any conference, exhibition or trade show, this exclusive meeting will bring together esteemed industry thought leaders and solution providers to a highly focused and interactive networking event. The Summit includes visionary presentations and interactive forums on unprecedented growth in the APAC energy sector, the foundation for a sustainable and prosperous future and cutting back on dirty fuel consumption.

For more information please send an email to info@marcusevanscy.com or visit the event website at www.apacpowergen.com 

marcus evans group environment/utilities/ energy sector portal

The Energy Network – marcus evans Summits group delivers peer-to-peer information on strategic matters, professional trends and breakthrough innovations.

Please note that the Summit is a closed business event and the number of participants strictly limited.

About HIMA Australia

HIMA Australia is a wholly owned subsidiary of HIMA Paul Hildebrandt GmBH, the world’s leading provider of process safety technologies with more than 25,000 systems in operation throughout the world.  HIMA solutions protect people and assets in industries ranging from nuclear energy and petrochemical processing through to rail signaling and materials handling.

www.hima.com.au

About marcus evans Summits
 
marcus evans Summits are high level business forums for the world’s leading decision-makers to meet, learn and discuss strategies and solutions. Held at exclusive locations around the world, these events provide attendees with a unique opportunity to individually tailor their schedules of keynote presentations, think tanks, seminars and one-to-one business meetings. For more information, please visit www.marcusevans.com

All rights reserved. The above content may be republished or reproduced. Kindly inform us by sending an email to press@marcusevanscy.com

UMS Group: Evolution of the CFO’s Role in the Utility Sector

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Energy Chief Financial Officers (CFOs) face a sustained negative business environment with growing pressure and risk for the business. Regulatory scrutiny, aging assets and unfunded customer expectations for reliability improvements and “smart” investments are creating the perfect storm for utility earnings and financial health. 

CFOs must lead the way through these intractable challenges, developing strategies to achieve significant and simultaneous improvement in operating costs, capital investment focus and returns and performance accountability and control, says Jack Shearman, Chief Executive Officer, UMS Group. Otherwise, it may be time to chart an exit course and court the most attractive acquisition offer. 

Shearman will be discussing the shifting priorities and role of CFOs and the importance of finding new ways to drive growth, lower costs and improve margins at the upcoming marcus evans Energy CFO Summit 2012, taking place in San Antonio, Texas, February 5-7.

What are the current opportunities in the energy sector?

Jack Shearman: Getting “lean” right now is a critically important strategy. Many energy companies have again tried the typical cost reduction programs of the past, but with very limited success. Aggressive companies are outsourcing additional activities, taking large inventory reductions, mounting labor productivity initiatives and adopting new maintenance and asset strategies.

Other markets around the world have driven dramatic improvements in efficiency, reliability and system risk over the past 20 years, and now lead the US in virtually all these measures. Studying reform processes as applied in Australia, Europe and South America, and sorting myth from fact on how much efficiency gain is possible can empower stronger leadership of change.

How can energy CFOs prepare for upcoming changes and regulations?

Jack Shearman: It is time for most CFOs to undertake a function-by-function evaluation of the business to jettison non-core operations, tighten spending controls and ruthlessly eliminate unnecessary/low value activities. Leading by example and first trimming corporate overhead staff and costs will be a key driver of credibility and success here.

The approaching conflict between asset replacement needs, current operating costs, revenue and regulatory realities must be communicated in a way that the operations team clearly gets the message and opens up to dramatic changes in approach.

CFOs also need to change the scorecards they use to track the performance of the business, emphasizing leading indicators that provide early warning of risks and impending problems.

How has the energy CFO’s role within the organization changed in the past few years?

Jack Shearman: CFOs can no longer only concern themselves with the financial requirements of the business. They must be seen as strategic business partners of the utility’s Operating Officers and Chief Risk Officers of their Enterprise. They must provide thought leadership and ensure earnings sustainability by managing risks and uncertainty. To do that, they need to drive greater transparency, operating flexibility and performance accountability into the organization.

What long-term corporate strategies would you recommend?

Jack Shearman: Utilities must find creative ways to replace aging assets, while securing regulatory commitments for future cost recovery. They need to shift their earnings growth strategy from load growth and making investments in new transmission assets, to new areas such as services, renewables and green power.

The world is pushing innovation, “smart” technologies and customer choice, and expecting, but not funding “grid modernization”. These changes will erode the concept of utility regulated franchises and place relentless pressure on incumbents.

Do you have one piece of advice for those in the energy sector? 

Jack Shearman: Leverage the lessons from other global markets, where survivors are those who became aggressive about evaluating new options and then sharpened their tools to become effective leaders of change. This requires driving realignment of corporate priorities and embracing tougher standards of performance and accountability.

Contact: Stacey Melvin, Journalist, marcus evans, Summits Division

Tel: + 357 22 849 400
Email: press@marcusevanscy.com

About the Energy CFO Summit 2012

This unique forum will take place at The Westin La Cantera Resort, San Antonio, Texas, February 5-7, 2012. Offering much more than any conference, exhibition or trade show, this exclusive meeting will bring together esteemed industry thought leaders and solution providers to a highly focused and interactive networking event. The Summit includes presentations on fast-changing regulations, ensuring financial stability and growth, and the battle against internal and external challenges.

For more information please send an email to info@marcusevanscy.com or visit the event website

marcus evans group - finance/insurance sector portal

Complementing our summit format, the Finance Network – marcus evans Summits group delivers peer-to-peer information on strategic matters, professional trends and breakthrough innovations.

Please note that the summit is a closed business event and the number of participants strictly limited.

About UMS Group

UMS is a leading global consultancy and thought leader in the areas of utility asset management, performance assessment and improvement and sustainability of change. UMS proprietary databases, analytical tools and methodologies have been utilized by over 300 gas, water and electric utilities on six continents to build world-class operations.

www.umsgroup.com

About marcus evans Summits

marcus evans Summits are high level business forums for the world’s leading decision-makers to meet, learn and discuss strategies and solutions. Held at exclusive locations around the world, these events provide attendees with a unique opportunity to individually tailor their schedules of keynote presentations, think tanks, seminars and one-on-one business meetings. For more information, please visit www.marcusevans.com 

All rights reserved. The above content may be republished or reproduced – kindly inform us by sending an email to press@marcusevanscy.com

Standardizing Preventive Maintenance in the Energy Sector

 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

“Without a strong preventive maintenance approach in place, energy utilities will continue to over-spend across their entire MRO (maintenance, repair and operations) and supply chains,” says, Andy Hill, Chief Executive Officer & Co-Founder, Oniqua.

From an asset performance management company attending the upcoming marcus evans Energy CFO Summit 2012, in San Antonio, Texas, February 7-8, Hill discusses why utilities must first identify the criticality of assets and equipment before beginning safety and maintenance programs.

How can utilities make an impact on their bottom line and reduce inventory costs?

Reducing inventory costs is a key way for Energy Chief Financial Officers (CFOs) to impact the bottom line. Utilities, however, must maintain and improve service levels while reducing inventory levels. Pursuing potential reductions in inventory costs must be balanced with the potential risks of doing or not doing so. To ensure this balance is properly struck, it is important that utilities have the proper tools and processes in place.

Why is it important for utilities to standardize preventive maintenance?

To keep costs low and service levels high, adopting a proactive maintenance strategy is extremely important. Without a strong preventative maintenance approach in place, energy utilities will continue to overspend across their entire MRO and supply chains, as they will inevitably hold unnecessarily high levels of safety stock, and underperform in service levels, which is the ultimate success metric for utilities. Part of any maintenance and equipment performance strategy should include preventative maintenance planning and rigorous analysis in the areas of lifecycle costing, component failure, equipment criticality, budgeting and bills of materials.

How can utilities increase reliability and safety?

They can do so with strong preventative maintenance strategies in place, and a finely-tuned and highly efficient MRO supply chain to support those strategies. Utilities must also understand the cost of stock-outs. A big part of employing effective reliability, safety and maintenance programs begins with identifying the criticality of assets and equipment.

Without criticality codes, all items are treated the same, which is extremely ineffective and inefficient. Maintenance and operations must define criticality at the equipment level, then analyze work management histories and bills of material and apply it at the material level. It is critical that utilities properly align safety stock with business risk.

Any final comments?

Utilities should take a long-term, holistic view to optimizing their MRO equipment and assets. This means integrating their efforts across all in-bound supply chain and maintenance activities, including equipment performance, maintenance effectiveness, inventory optimization, supplier performance, procurement effectiveness and supply chain effectiveness. Such a holistic approach is clearly not an overnight endeavor, but one that will require discipline and strong senior leadership within an organization.

Contact: Stacey Melvin, Journalist, marcus evans, Summits Division

Tel: + 357 22 849 400
Email: press@marcusevanscy.com

About the Energy CFO Summit 2012

This unique forum will take place at The Westin La Cantera Resort, San Antonio, Texas, February 7-8, 2012. Offering much more than any conference, exhibition or trade show, this exclusive meeting will bring together esteemed industry thought leaders and solution providers to a highly focused and interactive networking event. The Summit includes presentations on fast-changing regulations, ensuring financial stability and growth, and the battle against internal and external challenges.

For more information please send an email to info@marcusevanscy.com or visit the event website

marcus evans group – finance/insurance sector portal
 
Complementing our Summit format, the Finance Network – marcus evans Summits group delivers peer-to-peer information on strategic matters, professional trends and breakthrough innovations.

Please note that the Summit is a closed business event and the number of participants strictly limited.

About Oniqua

Oniqua is the leading provider of analytics software for MRO (Maintenance, Repair and Operations). We help asset-intensive companies optimize MRO efficiencies by eliminating waste, and deliver significant value and ROI within three to six months of deployment. Our asset performance management offering combines our flagship Oniqua Analytics Solution (OAS) with master data cleansing, cataloging and professional services to ensure maximum value delivery.

www.oniqua.com

About marcus evans Summits

marcus evans Summits are high level business forums for the world’s leading decision-makers to meet, learn and discuss strategies and solutions. Held at exclusive locations around the world, these events provide attendees with a unique opportunity to individually tailor their schedules of keynote presentations, think tanks, seminars and one-on-one business meetings. For more information, please visit www.marcusevans.com 

All rights reserved. The above content may be republished or reproduced. Kindly inform us by sending an email to press@marcusevanscy.com

Innovation in the Water & Wastewater Management Business

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Water and wastewater utilities must look to innovation as a process for driving operational efficiencies within their organizations, Paul Gagliardo, Manager – Innovation Development, American Water says. Production and delivery costs continue to increase and much of the nation’s water and wastewater infrastructure is past its useful life. If utilities wish to maintain quality and service, they will have to be more innovative in how they manage their assets, he adds.

A speaker at the upcoming marcus evans Water & Wastewater Management Summit 2012, in Las Vegas, Nevada, May 3-4, Gagliardo discusses his approach to water and wastewater management.

Why are water utilities conservative when it comes to change and innovation? Does that still serve them well?

Water utilities are inherently conservative because of their primary function, which is to provide a regulatory mandated quality of water to every household, and to treat and dispose of wastewater in the appropriate manner. There is a significant health and safety aspect to this, so they tend to stick to doing what they know will work.

However, power costs are increasing, climate change via green house gas emissions is being exacerbated, new regulations are impacting treatment systems, buried pipelines are subject to leaking and new technology is being developed at a rapid rate. As these drivers continue to change, utilities will have to be more innovative in how they design, upgrade, operate and manage their assets, in order to reduce their costs and maintain quality and service.
 
Does success always come down to innovation? Do you have a set path for thinking more creatively?

Innovation plays a big role in success. Steve Jobs said, “Think Different”. Many times one has to think in a different manner to see alternative solutions for reducing operating or capital costs, or increasing safety. It can be a sensor to identify a particular contaminant in real-time or a filter that can remove it at a lower cost. These are innovations that need to be tested and validated to determine the value proposition. The first step is seeking out companies and ideas, then testing and validating them to see if the value proposition of a particular technology makes a valid business case. There should be a multi-step approach, from uncovering the idea to analyzing it and finding deployment opportunities.

What is critical for safeguarding public health and safety?

There are federal and local water quality regulations, but we also look downstream to predict where regulations might go. A few years ago the arsenic maximum contaminant level was lowered. People are more concerned about pharmaceutically active compounds. Analyzing the causes and effects of compounds is a long process, but we try to have potential solutions in place for when and if new regulations do occur.

Any final words of wisdom?

Chaos is your friend. If you do not change, you will not grow. If you look at an issue from a different perspective, you will notice patterns in the randomness and chaos that can lead you to new solutions.

Contact: Sarin Kouyoumdjian-Gurunlian, Press Manager, marcus evans, Summits Division

Tel: + 357 22 849 313
Email: press@marcusevanscy.com

About the Water & Wastewater Management Summit 2012

This unique forum will take place at the Red Rock Casino, Resort & Spa, Las Vegas, Nevada, May 3-4, 2012. Offering much more than any conference, exhibition or trade show, this exclusive meeting will bring together esteemed industry thought leaders and solution providers to a highly focused and interactive networking event. The Summit includes presentations on improving reliability and cost effectiveness in water and wastewater utilities.

For more information please send an email to info@marcusevanscy.com or visit the event website

marcus evans group – environment/utilities/ energy sector portal

Please note that the Summit is a closed business event and the number of participants strictly limited.

About marcus evans Summits

marcus evans Summits are high level business forums for the world’s leading decision-makers to meet, learn and discuss strategies and solutions. Held at exclusive locations around the world, these events provide attendees with a unique opportunity to individually tailor their schedules of keynote presentations, think tanks, seminars and one-on-one business meetings. For more information, please visit: www.marcusevans.com 

All rights reserved. The above content may be republished or reproduced. Kindly inform us by sending an email to press@marcusevanscy.com

Protecting Utilities through Business Continuity 
 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

“It is crucial for power utilities to be prepared for malicious attacks and internal actions that could potentially bring down their organization,” says Scott Roe, President, Corporate Risk Solutions. Organizations must consider how the utility is being accessed and maximize security, he adds.

From a solution provider company attending the marcus evans Generation Summit 2012, in San Antonio, Texas, February 7-8, Roe discusses the three primary phases organizations must go through when responding to an attack on a utility.    

Why must there be more focus on the protection of utilities?

The reliability of the electricity sector is paramount. Most of the nation’s critical infrastructures, such as telecommunications, banking and finance, and transportation are dependent upon reliable power to operate. Every process and operation in the energy industry requires dynamic information flow which can put systems at risk. This could be a customers’ personal information or information that the system relies on to manage electricity. Simply stated, utilities must protect their customers’ information and the systems in place.

Managers should identify how the utility is being accessed both physically and logically. Does the public have any access? How is the information being stored? While typically a private network, does it use or allow public interface? What is the remote-access capability of the system? There must be a focus on the access points where information has the potential to be leaked and how that is being protected from within.

What benefits does Business Continuity bring? 

Security solutions and Business Continuity are risk management tools that can assist the organization in defending against and responding to malicious attacks. While utilities are used to handling impacts and risks related to severe weather, outages, etc., they are not as adept at handling the recovery processes surrounding malicious events, such as cyber attacks or internal actions that could potentially bring down the organization.

What are the three primary phases for responding to an attack on a utility?

The first is incident response. This typically includes containing or isolating the event to reduce total impact and to limit continual collateral impact.

The second phase is disaster recovery. This involves returning to a state of operations, through the use of redundant systems, spare parts and temporary processes.

The third is business resumption, when operations return to a normal state. Another key goal of this phase is to complete an After Action Review to identify what occurred and what can be done in the future to prevent it from happening again.

Any final comments?

Utilities have a reputation for engineering just about everything, yet with Security, they often treat this as an “add-on”. To ensure effective regulatory compliance and, more importantly, to enhance their risk management program, Security and Business Continuity should be “engineered” into their processes. They must consider how security can be maximized more efficiently, including whether it can be built into the operations and structures themselves.

Contact: Stacey Melvin, Journalist, marcus evans, Summits Division

Tel: + 357 22 849 400
Email: press@marcusevanscy.com

About the Generation Summit 2012

This unique forum will take place at The Westin La Cantera Resort, San Antonio, Texas, February 7-8, 2012. Offering much more than any conference, exhibition or trade show, this exclusive meeting will bring together esteemed industry thought leaders and solution providers to a highly focused and interactive networking event. The Summit includes presentations on meeting future energy demands whilst advancing clean air objectives, revolutionizing the energy mix and preparing for regulations which lie ahead. 

For more information please send an email to info@marcusevanscy.com or visit the event website

marcus evans group – environment/utilities/ energy sector portal

The Energy Network – marcus evans Summits group delivers peer-to-peer information on strategic matters, professional trends and breakthrough innovations.

Please note that the Summit is a closed business event and the number of participants strictly limited.

About Corporate Risk Solutions

Corporate Risk Solutions, Inc. (CRSI) is a wholly owned subsidiary security consulting firm of Corporate Enterprise Security, Inc. that specializes in NERC operational and CIP Compliance (693 and 706) as well as cyber and physical security solutions to the energy and government sectors. CRSI has provided consulting services to more than 100 electric utilities across all eight (8) NERC regions and is also under contract by multiple NERC Regional Entities for Audit Support.

www.corprisk.net

About marcus evans Summits

marcus evans Summits are high level business forums for the world’s leading decision-makers to meet, learn and discuss strategies and solutions. Held at exclusive locations around the world, these events provide attendees with a unique opportunity to individually tailor their schedules of keynote presentations, think tanks, seminars and one-on-one business meetings. For more information, please visit www.marcusevans.com

All rights reserved. The above content may be republished or reproduced. Kindly inform us by sending an email to press@marcusevanscy.com

Minimizing the Effects of Underinvestment in Water Utilities

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Water and wastewater utilities in North America have come to be silent, reliable service providers in North America, but serious underfunding and budget cuts could soon take a toll on aging infrastructure. Nilaksh Kothari, General Manager at Manitowoc Public Utilities, and a speaker at the marcus evans Water & Wastewater Management Summit 2012, in Las Vegas, Nevada, May 3-4, sheds some light on the challenges impacting utilities today and how they can be minimized.

What are the top five challenges facing water and wastewater management utilities today?

The aging water and wastewater infrastructure is a major problem for the industry. A recent study has found a funding gap of USD 9 billion annually in water infrastructure in the US. This is a tremendous amount of underinvestment.

On top of that, the uncertain economic situation has brought about financial instability and a decrease in demand, as consumers try to conserve water to save on their bills.

Thirdly, as a large percentage of the workforce prepares to retire in the next five to ten years, replacing employees is proving to be an issue for this sector.

I also cannot underemphasize the increasing and expanding regulations coming from the EPA.

And lastly, changing customer needs and dynamics, in terms of the water quality requirements and how the media influences public opinion.

How can utilities overcome budget cuts?

Water utilities need to do more with less. They should try to be more resourceful in how they manage available resources. It boils down to prioritization of projects and issues, and utilizing technology to the greatest extent possible.

There is a need for utilities to understand and communicate risk.  After all, doing more with less is just another way to operate at a higher risk level, because the level of investment is not adequate. 

What opportunities could they take advantage of?

The key is planning and looking at solutions holistically, more so than operating in silos, which is what many organizations do. They need to collaborate more so than they have done in the past. There are many opportunities to reduce costs, such as by outsourcing to third parties what can be handled more efficiently.

Utilities in North America have been the silent servers, providing services without communicating with their customers what they do or how they do it. They must raise the level of awareness, to ensure that people still believe that drinking water is safe and of the highest quality.

What is critical for safeguarding public health and safety?

Maintaining and optimizing the existing infrastructure, utilizing technology and assuring that the workforce is adaptive and trained to deal with challenges, would be the top three priorities to assure water is always safe, reliable and delivered at the taps 24/7.

Contact: Sarin Kouyoumdjian-Gurunlian, Press Manager, marcus evans, Summits Division

Tel: + 357 22 849 313
Email: press@marcusevanscy.com

About the Water & Wastewater Management Summit 2012

This unique forum will take place at the Red Rock Casino, Resort & Spa, Las Vegas, Nevada, May 3-4, 2012. Offering much more than any conference, exhibition or trade show, this exclusive meeting will bring together esteemed industry thought leaders and solution providers to a highly focused and interactive networking event. The Summit includes presentations on improving reliability and cost effectiveness in water and wastewater utilities.

For more information please send an email to info@marcusevanscy.com or visit the event website

marcus evans group – environment/utilities/ energy sector portal

Please note that the Summit is a closed business event and the number of participants strictly limited.

About marcus evans Summits

marcus evans Summits are high level business forums for the world’s leading decision-makers to meet, learn and discuss strategies and solutions. Held at exclusive locations around the world, these events provide attendees with a unique opportunity to individually tailor their schedules of keynote presentations, think tanks, seminars and one-on-one business meetings. For more information, please visit: www.marcusevans.com 

All rights reserved. The above content may be republished or reproduced. Kindly inform us by sending an email to press@marcusevanscy.com