Optimizing plant control values of a power plant

A method for optimizing power plant control values, where the method comprises the steps of

• a) determining a trajectory of plant control values {right arrow over (u)}(τ),
• b) determining from the trajectory of plant control values {right arrow over (u)}(τ), by simulation of the power plant's behavior, corresponding trajectories of costs {right arrow over (c)}(τ) for operating the plant and trajectories of revenues {right arrow over (q)}(τ) from selling produced output,
• c) computing a total operating cost J[u] as an integral of an objective function that comprises a difference between costs {right arrow over (c)}(τ) and revenues {right arrow over (q)}(τ),
• d) iteratively repeating steps a) through c) with the optimization module varying the trajectory of plant control values {right arrow over (u)}(τ) until an optimized lower total operating cost J[u] is arrived at,
• characterized in that in step b), by modeling of plant components, a trajectory representing a rate of ageing {right arrow over (e)}(τ) of plant components is determined from the trajectory of plant control values {right arrow over (u)}(τ), and that, in step c), the objective function comprises said rate of ageing {right arrow over (e)}(τ).