3.1.2. Step B: Assessing the Current Reality

In this step, the current activities in the maintenance of transformers of the PSMD power plant were investigated. Furthermore, the violations of the sustainability principles were evaluated to identify hotspots of sustainability impact. In this study, oil analysis technology is exclusively used in the condition monitoring (CM) parameters. The electrical testing was excluded in this study due to the shortcoming in this technology to detect a fault in the initial stage [3,18]. Measurable variables of oil analysis are demonstrated in Table 1.


**Table 1.** Measurable variables of oil analysis related to fault type used in the PSMD power plant.

Three significant violations of the sustainability principles were recorded in the PSMD power plant. The first hotspot is the usage of several tons of insulating oil in the transformers. That presents a violation of sustainability principles one and two, since it contributes to systematically increasing concentrations of substances from the Earth's crust (fossil oil) and substances produced by society (chemical products in the oil, which can be persistent and bio-accumulating). The second hotspot is the existence of a huge quantity of oil waste, which can include toxic chemicals used as additives or generated as by-products of chemical reactions in the oil during the transformer's useful life. That can be a violation of sustainability principle two. The third hotspot is the possibility of exposing the workforce or people near the fire and explosion accidents to negative impacts. That can be a violation of sustainability principle four, since it can present a structural obstacle to health.
