Abstract
The global electric power industry is evolving at a rapid pace, using innovative technologies and tools to meet critical challenges involved in generating, transmitting, and distributing high-quality energy to an increasing number of consumers. These challenges include enhancing system reliability and performance, maximizing asset life, and reducing both operation and maintenance (O&M), as well as capital costs. Corrosion prevention is key to the power industry’s ability to achieve these goals and ensure safe and reliable performance while minimizing expenses. Whereas the technology exists to control corrosion, this may involve significant costs including expensive materials and designs, inspection programs, and proactively maintaining and/or repairing susceptible areas. This paper describes a corrosion management system approach that delivers cost-effective corrosion controls by incorporating corrosion management into a company’s existing management systems. This approach will improve communication, resourcing, and funding allocation such that corrosion control investments result in positive returns while minimizing costly failures. Integrating such an approach with existing management systems insures the program’s viability and sustainability in both corrosion control and financial performance.
