For many large critical industrial loads, the primary objective
of having their own adequate backup supply generation is
to maintain continuity of their operation in order to avoid
production loss in the case of grid power outages. This paper
deals with a large critical industrial load in the Province of
Alberta, Canada, and the basic objective is to assess the adequacy
of its backup generation to meet its load requirements
in the case where there is a failure of Alberta provincial grid
system normally supplying the industrial plant. A Monte Carlo
simulation model with backup generation modeling capability
is developed and used in determining the optimal number of
gas turbines as a backup system for the plant in order to
satisfy the plant’s very high reliability requirements. The developed
model and the results of the study are presented in this
paper