Owner/contractor alliance-a case study to improve mutual profitability

Power station contract maintenance and overhaul has traditionally been carried by contractors competitively bidding against a client defined specification. This has resulted in a low cost service being provided by contractors for low margins. At the same time the pressures to minimise cost and the generating regimes imposed by the market has resulted in sub optimal plant performance for the owners. The authors describe how, against background, National Power (UK) is seeking to change its maintenance and overhaul strategies in order to improve plant performance without a corresponding increase in cost