HRSG technical conferences perhaps best known to users are held at the beginning of the year (HRSG Forum with Bob Anderson) and at the end of the year (Australasian HRSG Users Group). Sometimes forgotten is the Combined Cycle Users Group sandwiched between these “bookends” in the summer; it traditionally has robust sessions on heat-recovery steam generators.

This year is no different. At least three hours of the seventh annual (2017) meeting of the CCUG, August 28 – 31, at the Sheraton Grand Wild Horse Pass in the Phoenix area, is dedicated to HRSG presentations and discussion. Topics include the following:

• • • Problems to anticipate in the second half of your HRSG’s life.

    • Drone inspection for hard-to-reach, seldom-inspected areas.

    • Steam drum inspection and maintenance priorities.

There’s plenty more on the program of value to any owner/operator charged with making his or her plant run more reliably and efficiently with minimal emissions—including, boiler-feed-pump O&M, workforce development, cyber security and terrorism concerns with FBI agents sharing their knowledge, risk management, water-chemistry best practices, plant upgrades, impact of must-take renewables on combined cycles, safety, energy storage and grid integration, cooling towers, high-energy piping, etc.

Access the program developed by your experienced colleagues on the steering committee and communicate CCUG’s value to management:

• • • John Baker, Riverside Public Utilities.

    • Jimmy Daghlian, NV Energy.

    • Brian Fretwell, Calpine Corp.

    • Phyllis Gassert, Talen Energy.

    • Dr Robert Mayfield, Tenaska Inc.

    • Steve Royall, PG&E

Keep in mind, too, that the Steam Turbine Users Group and the Generator Users Group will be meeting at the same venue and at the same time as the CCUG and you’re invited to participate in any sessions of those conferences at no additional charge. Point is there’s always something productive to do when you attend a CCUG meeting.