Risk assessment of major accidents in large electric power plants

This paper presents a probabilistic methodology to assess risks of major accidents on large electric power plants. Major accidents are those resulting on complete loss or impediment of any high voltage unit, with consequent operational and/or economic hazards, or human injuries to operating personnel or customers. A top-down, systematic approach is proposed, so that It can be applied to any high voltage installation. The method was tested on a large substation owned by CHESF (Companhia Hidro Elétrica do São Francisco), supplier of electricity to a major metropolitan area in the Northeast of Brazil. With minor changes, the method can be applied to many other process industries.