A Stochastic Optimization Model for the Maintenance Strategy of Power Generation Plants Considering the Contracts in a Market Environment

In the operation of power plants and participation in the market, the reliable operation of generation units plays an important role in ensuring power supply and revenue. In this context, an optimal operation and maintenance strategy for the power plant in the market environment is proposed, where the uncertainties of renewable energy source (RES) power and market price are considered. Firstly, a joint uncertain scenario generation method is proposed to measure the uncertainties, where the seasonal differences in uncertainties are considered. Then, a stochastic-optimization-based maintenance model for the power generation system is established. The proposed method aims to obtain the annual maintenance scheduling for generation units that can maximize the expected revenue in the market environment. Moreover, the constraints for unit operation and maintenance scheduling are considered. A case study is provided to validate the operational effectiveness. The numerical results demonstrate that, the maintenance strategy is based on the annual trading contract with spot market price levels and RES output changes.