N-52024-2025 Bates White FAM Audit Report - Redacted
14 passages
X.B.2.a.ii. Availability Factor The second metric we examined was Availability Factor, which NERC defines as the percentage of hours a unit is available over all potential hours of a given period.404 The higher the Availability Factor, the...
AI summary The Availability Factor, defined as the percentage of hours a unit is available over all potential hours, was analyzed for NSPI's thermal units in 2024 and 2025. Most units exceeded industry averages, while Point Aconi and Trenton 5 lagged due to planned outages and seasonal layups.
Figure X-10: Outage Hours of NSPI Thermal Generating Units (by Outage Category) Thermal Plant Planned Maintenance Forced Total Lingan 1 1,756 244 584 2,583 Lingan 2 2,808 0 37 2,845 Lingan 3 2,167 254 215 2,636 Lingan 4 2,388 559 78 3,025...
AI summary Figure X-10 presents outage hours for NSPI thermal generating units categorized into planned, maintenance, and forced outages. The data highlights the total outage hours for each plant and overall, with a note that NERC's GADS does not include biomass plants, leading to the use of alternative comparative technologies for certain units.
Fleetwide, total outage hours (52,260) increased by approximately 3.0 percent from the previous Audit Period.406 Planned outage hours (37,056) increased by 13.4 percent from the previous Audit Period's total of 32,671 hours.407 Forced outa...
AI summary Total outage hours increased by 3.0% during the audit period, with planned outages rising by 13.4% and forced outages decreasing by 22.7%. NSPI scheduled planned outages outside of winter months to avoid peak demand and reduce costs. De-rate incidents on thermal units decreased by 19%, but the average size and duration of de-rates increased.
X.B.3.b.iv. Failed oil pump supply system at Tufts Cove 5 From January 8, 2025 through January 13, 2025, Tufts Cove Unit 5 was forced offline due to a failed oil pump.432 Specifically, the scavenge oil pump was unable to maintain required...
AI summary Tufts Cove Unit 5 was forced offline for five days in January 2025 due to a failed oil pump caused by a partially obstructed inlet screen. The pump was found to be mechanically serviceable, and the failure was not due to NSPI failing to follow General Electric's maintenance guidelines. NSPI has since increased the frequency of preventive maintenance on the system to every six months.
p weakens materials, making them prone to fatigue crack initiation or initiating micro-cracking on its own, while cyclic loading can cause the cracks to propagate by fatigue which accelerates failure. On August 24, 2022, during start-up ac...
AI summary A crack was discovered on the Main Steam Line (MSL) at Tufts Cove 2 on August 24, 2022, leading to an extended forced outage until December 11, 2022. The Root Cause Analysis identified multiple issues with the MSL, including material degradation and fatigue crack propagation, and recommended further inspection and repair.
X.B.3.c.iii. Root Cause Analysis Review We were provided with and reviewed two Root Cause Analyses related to diesel-fired CT units. The first was a December 5, 2025 Root Cause Analysis assessing a March 7, 2024 event at Burnside 1. On tha...
AI summary The document reviews two root cause analyses for diesel-fired CT units. The first analysis relates to a March 2024 event at Burnside 1, where high vibration caused a unit trip, leading to damage in the High Pressure Compressor. The OEM, Wood Group Pratt & Whitney, conducted inspections and laboratory analysis, concluding the failure was due to high cycle fatigue and wear of antifriction coating.
X.B.3.d.ii. Status and Operation of Lingan 2 The Board considered the issue of the retirement of Lingan 2 and its relation to the commencement of the NS Block volumes in a February 8, 2022 Decision.446 The Board noted that in NSPI's integr...
AI summary The Board addressed the retirement of Lingan 2 in a February 2022 decision, noting that NSPI planned to keep the unit operational until one year after the NS Block commenced. The Board disallowed recovery of Lingan 2 operating costs beyond August 15, 2022, without further approval. NSPI phased out economic dispatch after that date but kept the unit in cold reserve. The IESO forecasts Lingan 2's retirement until 2029/2030, requiring NSPI to maintain the unit for 2-3 additional years.
X.B.3.e.ii. 2024 Forced Outages for expansion joint failures On three separate occasions in 2024, Point Aconi was forced offline due to failures of an expansion joint on the air supply to a combustor return leg. Collectively, the three out...
AI summary In 2024, Point Aconi experienced three forced outages due to expansion joint failures linked to coal blend testing. The failures were caused by material buildup from higher coal blends, which NSPI addressed by adjusting fuel sizing. The outages highlight potential challenges from experimental fuel strategies under tightening emissions constraints.
X.B.3.f.ii. October-November 2024 forced outage On October 26, 2024, Point Tupper was forced offline in an outage that would last 552.37 hours until November 18, 2024.460 NSPI explained that the cause of the outage was a generator trip on...
AI summary Point Tupper experienced a forced outage from October 26 to November 18, 2024, caused by a generator trip due to damage in the rotating brushless exciter assembly. NSPI implemented corrective actions, including cleaning, replacement of components, and updated maintenance schedules. The outage is similar but not identical to a 2022 event, and NSPI has taken additional precautions based on OEM recommendations.
X.B.3.f.iii. Root Cause Analysis Review We were provided and reviewed two Root Cause Analyses related to Point Tupper. One event associated with the Root Cause Analyses occurred in the prior Audit Period. The first Root Cause Analysis, com...
AI summary A Root Cause Analysis reviewed two incidents at Point Tupper, where circulating water pump failures led to forced outages. The failures were attributed to contamination and moisture, potentially exacerbated by failed cabinet heaters and environmental factors like humidity and roof leaks.
X.B.3.h.ii. Root Cause Analysis Review We were provided and reviewed one Root Cause Analysis related to PHB. The Root Cause Analysis, published December 3, 2025, addressed an event on May 31, 2024, when the PHB unit was forced offline due...
AI summary A root cause analysis was conducted following an event where a critical spare part, the Low-Pressure Steam Extraction Control Valve Rod, broke at the PHB unit, causing an 18-day forced outage. NSPI was unable to locate the spare Rod in inventory, leading to temporary repairs and procurement delays. NSPI has since implemented inventory control improvements, but has not yet calculated the FAM costs of the event.
X.B.8. Bates White's 2022-2023 Audit Recommendations In our report for the prior Audit Period, we included seven recommendations regarding power plant performance. We address each as follows. Our first recommendation related to power plant...
AI summary Bates White's 2022-2023 audit report outlines recommendations for NSPI regarding power plant performance, including addressing discrepancies in outage reporting, explaining test results from Tufts Cove 2, and conducting further tests on the PHB biomass unit. NSPI has accepted and partially addressed these recommendations, including conducting additional tests and using a fuel blend for performance evaluation.
ere derated decreased 19 percent from the prior audit period, though the size of the average derate increased by 8 MW (or 11.8%), as did the average duration of the derates (by 59 hours, or by 88.2%). Conclusion X-8: Heat rate performance...
AI summary The audit period saw a 19% decrease in derated capacity, with increased average derate size and duration. NSPI's heat rate performance improved in 2025, with five coal-fired units exceeding industry averages. Utilization factors were higher than forecast, indicating potential increases in capital and O&M costs. NSPI's asset management and outage planning remain effective.
system to replace lost generation or accommodate increased generation, to maintain reserves, to balance the gas position, to accommodate energy trading, or to respond to other real-time system needs. During the audit period, Wreck Cove uni...
AI summary Wreck Cove units were frequently out of service during the audit period due to the Life Extension and Modernization Project, impacting real-time dispatch capabilities. The NSPSO had to rely on less flexible coal and gas units when Wreck Cove was unavailable, leading to higher dispatch costs and reduced flexibility.