I posted this technical commentary in one of the WhatsApp groups. Only engineers are in the group.
In thought let me share it with you.
Historically the power plants were designed to have 50,000 equivalent operating hours. Then 100,000 and then 150,000 equivalent operating hours.
We designed Medupi and Kusile to 200,000 equivalent operating hours.
In the design base, we always define life-limiting components. The mechanism that limits life is always long-term overheating/creep and cyclic fatigue. Power plant chemistry is the heartbeat. You design the power plant chemistry first before you do the mechanical design of the power plant.
For as long as you stay within what in
@Eskom_SA is called OpsTech Specs you should be fine.
Your coal burner performance, coal quality and most importantly saline and power plant chemistry are what generally kill you
Chemistry in a power plant is like cancer. It eats the power plant from the inside and once it is done you are finished. You are going to blame state capture all your life.
PS: Equivalent operating hours is a defined term. It takes into account the number of cold and hot starts