BIC Magazine tours San Jacinto College's new CPET facility
San Jacinto College has served as the training leader for the petrochemical, energy, and technology workforce in the greater Houston area for more than 50 years. The Center for Petrochemical, Energy, and Technology (CPET) expands the college’s capabilities to develop and train the petrochemical industry’s current and future workforce.
The 151,000-square-foot instructional complex features a separate process training unit and space to house the process operations program, instrumentation, electrical, nondestructive testing, and craft trades.
With four campuses located throughout East Harris County, San Jacinto College serves as a training hub to the largest petrochemical manufacturing complex in the United States,and second largest in the world with 90 industries and 130 plants. The college plays a vital role in helping the region maintain its status as the “Energy Capital of the World.”
The facility and its curriculum were developed with feedback from an advisory council of leaders in the petrochemical industry and plant managers.
Facility Features:
- Largest petrochemical training facility in the Gulf Coast Region
- An 8,000 square-foot glycol distillation unit to teach process operations and develop troubleshooting skills for students and incumbent workers
- The right combination of the newest industry technology and legacy equipment to ensure that students get a well-rounded education.
- Instrumentation/analyzer technology and nondestructive testing training labs
- Multi-functional glass pilot plant lab for training process systems
- Conference, training, and assembly spaces designed to accommodate academic, community, and industrial functions
- Electrical technology labs for teaching industrial electrical equipment function and maintenance
- State-of-the-art control room to operate the glycol distillation unit developed with industry to optimize safety, efficiency, and ergonomic human factors
- Process simulation lab that creates a real-life representation of chemical, physical, and other technical processes in unit operations.
- Corporate training and professional development facilities designed to complement many aspects of the petrochemical manufacturing industry, such as process technology, instrumentation and controls, electrical power, fixed and rotating equipment technology, process reliability, nondestructive testing, and others.
Incumbent Training:
San Jacinto College offers a variety of noncredit courses for workforce training and continued learning to help enhance job skills and advance one's career.
Its basic or advanced process troubleshooting courses are designed for beginning or current process operators/technicians. These courses offer training, covering topics from introduction to process instrumentation and troubleshooting, to performing emergency shutdown operations using prescribed procedures, and many more.