Power plants are long-lived investments, and the flow of documents runs from installation to decades later. Equipment supply, grid connection, acceptance tests and operating records proceed in different languages with different parties. In this flow the consistency of unit and guarantee terminology has contractual consequences.
Connection agreements
The connection of the plant to the grid rests on a separate agreement, and its technical conditions are defined there. The connection point and the voltage level are the core of the agreement. Values are carried over with their units.
Installed capacity and generation units
Installed capacity and energy generated are expressed in different units, and the two cannot be mixed up. A mix-up of units completely ruins the annual generation calculation. Units are carried over without conversion.
Equipment supply contracts
The supply of turbines, boilers and generators proceeds under separate contracts, and each carries its own technical annex. The annexes refer to the main text. The links are followed.
Guaranteed performance values
The supplier guarantees specific performance values, and these values are verified by testing. Guarantee wording has meaning together with its conditions. The conditions are not skipped.
Acceptance tests
The values measured in the tests are compared with those guaranteed, and the result affects payment. The test conditions are written in the report. A value without its conditions cannot be interpreted.
Penalty provisions
If the guaranteed values are not reached, the contract provides for a penalty, and the calculation method is defined. The wording of the method is carried over exactly. No interpretation is added.
Efficiency calculations
Plant efficiency is calculated by a specific method and depends on reference conditions. The reference conditions are defined in the report. The information is preserved.
Availability records
The periods during which the plant is available for generation are put on record and have commercial consequences. The time calculations are made period by period. Date ranges are preserved.
Maintenance plans
Planned maintenance periods affect the generation plan and are defined in the contract. The types of maintenance carry separate names. The names are translated consistently.
Fault records
Outages are recorded together with their causes, and warranty cover is assessed on the basis of these records. Cause statements are carried over objectively. Durations are preserved.
Operation and maintenance manuals
Equipment manuals are used on site and contain safety warnings. The warnings are set texts and are carried over in full. The order of the steps is preserved.
Spare parts lists
Parts are listed with manufacturer codes, and the codes are not translated. Part names are translated. The two fields are handled separately.
Meter and measurement records
Generation and consumption are documented by meter readings, which are the basis of invoicing. Reading dates and values are carried over together. Numerical fields are verified separately.
Licence documents
Generation activity is subject to a licence, and the scope of the licence is limited. The licence number and term are carried over. The statement of scope is not skipped.
Environmental monitoring
Emission and wastewater measurements are made regularly and reported. The measurement conditions are given together with the value. Limit values stay as they stand in the document.
Financing reports
In project finance a regular technical report is submitted to the lender. The reports are periodic and comparative. The terminology list is kept fixed between periods.
The costliest mistake in this sector
Mixing up power and energy units can show a plant's annual generation capacity wrong by a factor of a thousand. Even if the number is carried over correctly, a unit error invalidates the entire financial model. Unit fields are verified in a separate list.