Utilizing an Equivalent Forced Outage Rate (EFOR) Reliability Assessment to Improve the Bottom Line

An approximately forty-year old coal plant in the Midwest, due to recent changes in the transmission/distribution system, had the opportunity to once again run at base-load. For years, the unit operated in a load-following mode during the weekdays and at a reduced load at nights and weekends. This new base-load mode had brought forth the management directive for the unit to decrease its Equivalent Forced Outage Rate (EFOR) to improve reliability, bringing forth an improved profit margin.