Project commissioning is and will always be a critical part of any industrial build project, especially when it involves the use of novel or complex technologies. It is the pivotal phase between design/build and the successful long-term operation of the facility. Executing it correctly allows the design/build and operations teams to look good. Likewise, poor execution can result in conflict between the two groups.
There are several strategies that can help ensure a smooth commissioning process. First of all, it's a team effort among the design people, the construction people and the operations and maintenance (O&M) people. Just like in a track-and-field relay race, whether you win or lose often depends on how smooth and accurate the handoff is from one teammate to the next.
And it's important to remember that this teamwork is an iterative process -- nothing that happens overnight. It happens in the trenches. It's a one-on-one interaction. It's a one-on-one trust. It's a one-on-one belief that the other person has your back. Trust is earned, not just given. It takes time to do that, but it's done on a one-on-one basis in the field. It's not something dictated from the top that really makes it happen. It's the individuals who do it.
The best way to achieve that accurate pass-off is to use the same basic core of people on both teams who have been through a commissioning exercise together before. They know the process and each other, and they likely have respect for each other's abilities. The combination of those three things helps you commission a facility in a timely fashion, with fewer mistakes and greater success on the start-up in terms of getting from construction to operation and compliance much more quickly. In my experience, hiring one company to provide design/build and O&M is the optimal path forward for an owner to achieve this success.
This kind of arrangement is a great option for owners because it helps to mitigate the owner's risk profile. But there are many considerations between the design and operations teams that determine the outcome. During the design phase, there's always a balance between the cheapest capital cost and the lowest lifecycle cost. For instance, when looking at it from an operations perspective, you may want a particular kind of pump because it's reliable and will last 10 or 15 years and the maintenance costs are low. However, the capital people may say, "Well, that's going to cost me another $5,000 of capital. I don't want to spend the money." There's that back and forth and back and forth to get to an optimal design, a balance between the two. Likewise, when you build a plant, you may look at it and say, "Well, I can put these valves in these locations, and I can do it more quickly, and I will make my specification to the drawing." But, never mind the fact that valve is now 15 feet in the air and the operator can't get to it easily.
The reason why a design/build and operate arrangement is so critical is that the design team and the builders and operators must work together through the entire construction and commissioning process, so that at the end of the day what comes out of it is a plant you can operate and deliver your guaranteed performance and cost for the next 15 or 20 years.
Beyond the importance of this collaboration, there are practical issues that can make a difference on effective commissioning. For instance, having the proper design, safety and control strategy reviews is incredibly important. It takes an operator to walk through and envision how the plant would actually run and look at the variations in the influent and how the plant will respond: "Here's how you are going to control this, you've got eight hours of storage in this tank, this one's on level control." By walking through the entire process, you make sure the automation that was included, for instance, will actually work.
Michael Robinson
Another factor is to write all your standard operating procedures (SOPs), or at least the first draft, prior to commissioning, so you've got your process control strategy completed. In this scenario, you've already identified your lab equipment, and you know exactly the testing and process control sampling and analysis you're going to do. You've set all the programs, and now your operators begin working through the initial checkouts. While they are checking valves and functions and bumping motors to see if everything is running correctly, the operator is getting irreplaceable training on the guts of the operation.
Additionally, having a design/build and an operate/maintain agreement with a single entity offers a single point of contact for issues to get fixed. There is a synergy for resolution regardless of whether it's a design issue, construction issue or operational issue. It provides a de-risking process for the owner. Think of the alternative. An owner hires a design/build contractor and then the owner operates the facility. The contractor would do the design and build, go through a short commissioning test, hand the facility over to the owner, get paid and be gone. As an owner, you're simply not going to know whether or not there are long-term flaws in this short window. And if and when they do arise, it becomes pretty gray as to whether or not it was really a design defect or just inefficient or sloppy operations.
In the design/build/O&M scenario, the owner works with a partner who will make sure the plant runs at a guaranteed cost and specification. This scenario prevents finger- pointing between a design firm and an operating group, or a design firm and the client if they're self-performing on operations. It's like trying to recover insurance money. It's always a difficult thing trying to prove you're right, and there are always shades of gray. Nothing is quite so clear cut.
I've seen projects fail but even more succeed, particularly when there is true partnership and collaboration between the design/ build and operations teams. My experience has taught me that partnering with one entity to provide the full scope of services is simply the best way to protect the owner's long-term interests and ensure the plant runs safely, efficiently and as intended.
For more information, visit www. veolianorthamerica.com or call (713) 672-8004.
