In a virtual live broadcast of the AES Performance Excellence Summit 2020 (APEX 20) on Wednesday 25 June, AES Mong Duong’s ‘Optimization of Air Compressor System’ project was awarded the third prize in the Replication Category. Led by Nguyen Cong Thai, CBO Ash Handling, and the team, the project has been implemented since 2019 with an investment of US$15,000, and helped save US$400,000 in operation costs for the Mong Duong II power plant in Vietnam.
The project was brought to life after the team observed that every year, the plant is usually put in reserve shutdown mode for several months and has to pay a significant amount for electricity bills and other costs during this period. By using APEX tools, the team identified that the root cause of the issue was the running air compressors. The proposed solution was to connect the plant’s air compressor system to the existing ash handling air compressor system.
The ‘Optimization of Air Compressor System’ project could be replicated easily, especially for thermal power plants that are designed with two different air compressor systems, including one that uses circulating water for cooling. Annual potential cost saving is up to US$800,000 with zero environmental impacts.
“I am very happy and honored that the project has been acknowledged at the global APEX 20. Before reaching the final round, we competed with other teams in Vietnam and Eurasia. The project development and the competition really motivated me and was a boost to my confidence. After the implementation, the project has saved operational costs and manpower resources, while at the same time created better conditions for maintenance and restoration activities at the plant,” said Nguyen Cong Thai, CBO Ash Handling, the project leader.
Speaking about the achievement, Mr. David Stone, CEO of AES Mong Duong, said: “I am very proud of the team at the Mong Duong II power plant, whose efforts to apply the highest operational standards were recognized at the 2020 APEX ceremony. The APEX award received by the team for their Optimization of Air Compressor System project inspires us to continue looking for better ways to achieve our goals.”
AES Performance Excellence (APEX) is one of the most important tools used across AES markets that encourage AES people to submit ideas to further improve AES’ performance with the APEX program. Projects compete in multiple rounds, starting locally, then moving to Strategic Business Unit (SBU) competitions, and lastly culminating in the global competition. The competitions are an exciting way for project teams to share their ideas and hard work with others and gain well-deserved recognition for the improvements they have achieved.