Today's economic climate requires that each industry aims at achieving maximum production capability, while minimizing capital investment e.g. in the maintenance function. This means finding ways to maximize equipment reliability and up-time and extend plant and equipment life through cost-effective maintenance. This paper surveys the performance of gas-turbine plants in Afam thermal-power station. The findings show that the financial impact of lost generation (through non-availability) exceeded within a few years, the initial purchase price of the power plants and associated equipment. (C) 2003 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.