A CAMS asset manager overseeing the operator of a large wind project identified a key deficiency in existing safety procedures for up-tower maintenance. The procedures did not include the rescue of a technician with certain serious up-tower injuries. This introduced the risk that a delayed or poorly executed rescue by insufficiently trained first responders could compound a technician’s injury.

CAMS notified the owner and, after several months of negotiations, implemented a new, appropriate procedure.

The operator ultimately rolled out the procedure fleet-wide, reducing additional risk to injured technicians.

As a new operator and asset manager of several pipelines, CAMS identified work practices, procedures and records that were out of compliance with DOT/PHMSA, and local regulations, which are in place for the safety of employees and the community.

CAMS identified several gaps in regulatory compliance, including out-of-date and inadequate integrity programs, and missing regulatory records. We took immediate action to resolve and mitigate compliance exposure for the clients.

CAMS improved regulatory compliance, resulting in safer conditions, superior audit results, and improved relations with regulatory agency staff.

A 604-MW combined cycle thermal generating facility in Southwest Power Pool Regional Entity was not maximizing its production capacity under the facility’s offtake agreement.

CAMS leveraged its experience to negotiate a compressor upgrade and an approximately 8-year long-term service agreement (LTSA) extension with the OEM. The upgrade included replacing the Inlet Guide Vanes (IGVs) and first six stages of the compressor without having to modify the rotor or the flow path of the cylinder. This project provided the additional production capacity needed to maximize capacity revenue under the power purchase agreement (PPA) and reduce fuel costs due to the resulting lower heat rate.

The design modification improved the heat rate by greater than 1%, increased capacity by 5%, and reduced the LTSA hourly fee. These modifications and negotiated cost reductions generated an additional $50 million in total net benefit to the owner.

A 604-MW thermal generating facility in New Mexico was spending $107,000 per month and increasing its environmental footprint due to vehicle emissions and road dust from hauling wastewater offsite via a third-party contractor. This practice constrained operating cash and required material quantities of plant staff’s time and energy.

CAMS reviewed the feasibility of alternative wastewater disposal methods and negotiated with the local regulatory agency to allow wastewater reclamation via irrigation. CAMS personnel also worked with the adjacent landowner to install a center pivot irrigation system on 80-acres of farmland.

The recommended system saved the plant owner approximately $10.9 million. In addition, the center pivot system supplements irrigation water to raise several beneficial crops. The act of goodwill strengthened ties with the local farming community and other stakeholders, ultimately improving community relations.

Environmental awareness and compliance visibility are essential to successful operations, particularly with complex facilities and changes in environmental roles and responsibilities. For example, annual and ozone season emission limits may pose operational restrictions, but are often difficult to track because they are not necessarily explicit in permit language or immediately evident to commercial ops teams.

CAMS developed an in-house environmental management suite to complement existing systems. A compliance dashboard and deck now help identify, manage, track, and communicate ongoing environmental actions and provide summaries of major environmental requirements. An emission tracker allows for monitoring of total emissions in the context of all applicable limits and thresholds. It also allows for forecasting based on established or observed emission rates and planned fuel use.

CAMS improved environmental awareness at all levels of our organization for multiple facilities and streamlined strategic planning and management of environmental requirements.