Slovenian approach in reliability centered maintenance of transmission system provider

This paper deals with asset management and maintenance strategy in transmission utility, IT support and development of Slovenian national transmission network in the new deregulated environment of Electric Supply Industry (ESI). After establishing new institutional arrangement of the Slovenian energy sector in accordance with a new Energy Act (1999), many solutions and previous paradigms have changed. New institutional arrangement started in 2001 with internal and in 2003 with external electricity market. Opening level of Slovenian electricity market is presently 75%. Considering the new deregulated environment and new mechanism of asset management proceedings on one hand and constantly increasing consumption on the other hand, increasing loading of transmission network as well as a large level of parallel flows as consequence of location at crossroads of middle Europe with increasing power exchanges with Italy and other neighbors, Slovenian transmission provider was forced to introduce new approaches in asset management with aim to improve network efficiency and reliability. Optimization of asset management and particularly maintenance strategy as important element in the efficient network business was the most important task of company management, especially considering impacts of ageing to transmission system. ELES as the only Slovenian transmission provider selected package Maximo as general IT maintenance support and Reliability Centered Maintenance (RCM) approach in maintenance strategy using package Calpos main. This paper addresses the connection between two supporting tools explaining first experiences in optimizing investment in new power transformer 300 MVA in transmission network. New RCM approach was implemented on the substations only and has shown that new approach can be very attractive from economical point of view. Estimated maintenance cost could be reduced up to 25% with same reliability standard for customers.