Roles and Responsibilities of Plant Pre-Commissioning,

Commissioning and Acceptance Test Run

Introduction
There are many parts of a grass root or revamp plant construction. They include

1. Basic Process Engineering

2. Detailed Engineering
3. Procurement
5. Construction
6. Operations Training
7. Mechanical Completion
8. Pre Commissioning
9. Commissioning
10. Acceptance Test Run.

The construction is considered complete with the signing of the “mechanical completion”.
Operations Training should be completed as the plant is being constructed. This is typically
done by the technology licensee. Additional courses such as Project Management, Hazard
Identification and Safe Unit Commissioning can be provided by KLM Technology Group as
“in house training” or in regional conferences.

Then the pre commissioning and commissioning commences, which can be done in phases
as the construction is completed. Commissioning is a verification process used to confirm
that a facility has been designed, procured, fabricated, installed, tested, and prepared for
operation in accordance with design drawings and specifications.

Typically commissioning packages (details of how the commissioning is to be carried out)

are planned and completed. The trained operators execute the commissioning as a second
phase of their training. This gives them plant experience and ownership.

At the completion of pre-commissioning, commissioning is planned and commenced. “On

Specification” products should be made within a reasonable period of time, after which an
Acceptance Test Run is planned and commenced.

Plant operations personnel are employed by the Operations Company and will follow the
construction, do the pre-commissioning, commissioning, and acceptance test run. External
Advisors are employed by the operating company, construction company, and the technology
licensee to provide advice and assistance to the operations personnel. In most countries
only the personnel employed by the Operations Company may actually operate the
equipment for safety, liability, and insurance requirements. KLM Technology Group can
provide experienced personnel for the operations, advice and assistance.
A successful plant commission has at least four parts, which out which one cannot be
considered a success.

1. No Loss Time Accidents. No commissioning can be considered a success if it is not

done safely. Safety has to be stressed from the very beginning of the design,
construction and commissioning.

2. No Equipment Damage. This function of many disciplines, design, construction

operations and commissioning team.

3. On Test Product within a reasonable period. Less than two days would be considered
very good, seven days would be acceptable, and above fourteen days would be less
than acceptable.

4. No Environmental Incidents. Again this is a function of many disciplines. The

environmental impact can be reduced by successfully making on test product within a
reasonable period.

It is important to start the project with these goals. Select a good team, train them well, and
give them the tools to succeed.

Health, Safety and Environmental

A Health, Safety, and Environmental (HSE) Management Plan should be developed for the
project. In addition, other plans and procedures to cover the inherent risks associated with
pre-commissioning, commissioning, and other activities as well as risks associated with the
performance of these activities while others are working in adjacent areas of the facility.

These plans / procedures may consist of, but are not limited to:

1. Identification of systems under the control of commissioning

2. Pre Start-up Safety Reviews (PSSRs)
3. Permit to Work system
4. Hazard identification and risk management
5. Simultaneous Operations (SIMOPS)

Of particular concern are facilities with multiple train / process units where construction and
commissioning activities may be occurring in one area of the facility simultaneously with start-
up and operations (by the Client) in another area.
Operations Training
The objective of operations training is to instruct the operators to safely commission and to
make on specification production while reducing environmental impact. This is typically
includes several weeks of training and many times with a similar plant site visit. Good training
may be expensive, but no or bad training is even more expensive.

Step to ensure the operators are properly trained:

• Ensure the start up and commissioning procedures are reviewed and understood by
the operators by written test. Strive to have all procedures be comprehensive, yet
easily understood.
• Help the operators learn through experience.
• Teach them to not just to walk through a poor procedure, work with your supervision
to get it improved and updated.
• Teach them to always keep the importance of routine jobs in perspective. Don’t let
their routine nature diminish their role. Routine jobs such as vibration and corrosion
inspection can help to detect problems early and prevent a serious incident.

The local staff needs general instruction in the following fields;

1. Safety
2. Hazard analysis
3. Furnaces,
4. Boilers and Steam Systems,
5. Steam Turbines, Pumps, and Compressors,
6. Distillation,
7. Piping and Heat Exchangers,
8. Process Control Systems,
9. Electrical Systems,
10. Catalyst and Molecular Sieve Systems,
11. Cooling Water Systems and Treatment,
12. Process Utilities
13. Relief Valve and Flare Systems
14. Environmental Reduction

If the local staff has some operations experience this can be covered quickly, but with
limited operations experience the fundamentals need to be understood to optimized and
received the full benefit from the plant investment. With experienced operations staff this
can be completed in 15 to 20 days.
One typical way to complete the operations training is called “train the trainer”. A selected
group of the engineers and experienced operations personnel is given training by the senior
commissioning manager. Then these trainers train the local staff.

Specific Plant Training for the “Train the Trainer” Group would include;

1. Pre Commissioning Procedures

2. Commissioning Procedures
3. Plant Specific P&ID Review
A. Tower Review
B. Reactor Review
C. Process Control Review
4. Distillation Overview
5. Plant Specific Process Variables
6. Normal Start Up and Shut Down Procedures
7. Emergency Shut Down Procedures
8. Plant Specific Environmental Concerns

The “Train the Trainer” should be completed in 10 days, and then followed by 20 to 30 days
training of the local staffing by the trainers. KLM can provide Senior Commissioning
Managers to provide training.

Mechanical Completion

A plant, unit, or facility, or any part thereof, is considered Mechanically Complete (MC) when
it has been erected in accordance with applicable drawings and specifications. The definition
of MC varies from project to project depending on contractual requirements.

Mechanical Completion activities consist of all non-operating activities. A typical list might
be as follows;

Mechanical Completion Items Constructor Operations Advisors

1. Installation of piping and equipment Perform Witness

2. Integrity (hydrostatic/pneumatic) Perform Witness Witness

testing

3. Equipment Inspection (Towers, Perform Witness Witness

Reactors, ect)

4. Develop Punch List Perform Witness

 5. Cold alignment checks Perform Witness Witness

6. Point to Point continuity checks Perform Witness Witness

7. Removal of free water from systems Perform Witness

8. Preservation and maintenance Perform Witness

Punch list

Punch listing is an integral part of the mechanic completion process and is a critical step to
verifying the status of systems completion. The category of a punch list item determines if a
system is ready to move into the next phase of commissioning. Punch list items are
prioritized into one of three categories; type A, B, or C.

Category A

Type A punch list items are deficiencies or pending work that must be repaired or
completed prior to issuance of a Mechanical Completion

Category B

Type B punch list items are deficiencies or pending work that may be cleared after
declaration of Mechanical Completion but must be closed out in pre-commissioning.

Category C

Type C punch list items are deficiencies that must be cleared prior to commissioning.
These are items that are required to be corrected prior to proceeding with a safe start-
up and continuing operations.

System Turn Over

A turnover procedure and schedule for the project should be developed. The turnover
procedure and schedule will define how the systems are turned over from Construction to
Commissioning; what work has to be completed, and by whom, before a system can be
turned over; and when systems need to be turned over. Development and agreement of
these procedures and schedules ensures the efficient turnover of systems, safe execution of
concurrent activities, and ultimately earlier start-up.

Typically, Utilities and OSBL (Out Side the Battery Limits) are scheduled first, followed by the
process areas - ISBL (Inside the Battery Limits)
The Commissioning Team will prepare systems definitions as early as practical in the project.
Prioritized systems definitions form the baseline for planning and executing projects. A
preliminary list of turnover systems will be developed during the Front End Engineering
Design (FEED). This is generally done by highlighting a set of Process Flow Diagrams
(PFDs) and Utility Flow Diagrams (UFDs).

During detailed engineering a more detailed set of systems definitions will be developed by
highlighting P&IDs and other engineering documents as appropriate. Each system will be
assigned a descriptive name and number. The name and number should follow the same
process unit numbering convention used by Engineering.

Prioritized systems definitions will be loaded into a management system. Planning for this
data should start during the FEED. The actual upload of information into the management
system will take place as early as practical during the detailed engineering phase of the
project.

Pre Commissioning

Pre-commissioning, also referred to as static commissioning, starts when a system or

subsystem achieves Mechanical Completion. The safety monitoring activities will change at
this transition as fluids (water, air, nitrogen, hydrocarbons, etc.) are introduced into sections
of the facility to support testing, cleaning, flushing, and other pre-commissioning activities.

Pre-Commissioning activities are items that are done following Mechanical Completion.
Attached is a typical list of Pre-Commissioning Items

Pre-Commissioning Items Constructor Operations Advisors

1. Temporary Screens, Strainers and Perform Witness
Blinds
2. Air and Steam Blowing Perform Witness

3. Flushing, Chemical and Mechanical Perform Witness

Cleaning

4. Cleaning and Passivation Perform Witness

5. Electrical System Energizing Perform Witness

6. Instrumentation Verification Perform Witness

Commissioning
Commissioning is a verification process used to confirm that a facility has been designed,
procured, fabricated, installed, tested, and prepared for operation in accordance with design
drawings and specifications.

Commissioning Items Constructor Operations Advisors

1. Operational Tightness Testing Perform Witness

2. Oil Systems Flushing Perform Witness

3. Loading of desiccants and catalysts Perform Witness

4. Refractory dry out Perform Witness

5. Run in of rotating equipment Perform Witness

6. Drying Out and inerting Perform Witness

7. Instrument and electrical function Perform Witness

testing
8. Function testing of safety systems Perform Witness

Pre Start-Up Safety Review

A Pre-Start-up Safety Review (PSSR) will be conducted prior to start-up. A designated team
led by the Client and consisting of Client and Commissioning personnel will jointly conduct
the PSSR once construction is essentially complete and prior to start-up of any system. The
PSSR plans and procedures will be developed by the Client.

The PSSR review shall confirm that, prior to the introduction of highly hazardous chemicals
to a process:

1) Construction and equipment is in accordance with design specifications.

2) Safety, operating, maintenance, and emergency procedures are in place and are
adequate. All safety systems are functioning properly.

3) A process hazard analysis has been performed and recommendations have been
resolved or implemented before start-up.
Hydrocarbon Introduction
If the plant is a hydrocarbon facility, a detailed procedure of how to introduce hydrocarbons
to the plant should be developed. The procedure should be completed by the operations
group with guidance from the advisors.

KLM can typically provide one Commissioning Manager, two on shift operations specialist
(working 12 hours shifts) and one Acceptance Test Run (ATR) Engineer to assist and
advise in the commissioning for a small unit like a Hydrotreater.

Acceptance Test Run (ATR)

The Acceptance Test Run will be held after commissioning and hydrocarbon introduction.
An approved Acceptance Test Run procedure will be developed and utilized.

Advisors
The team of Advisors will include three categories;

1. Commissioning Manager
2. Commissioning Engineer
3. Commissioning Operator Specialist

Commissioning Manager
The Commissioning Manager typically is a Chemical / Mechanical Engineer with greater
than 15 years’ operations experience. They will have been though several grass roots
start-ups.

Responsibilities;

1. Be a liaison between the operating company and the Technology Licensee. Manage
and work toward building a cohesive team for the most successful start up possible.
Encourage open communication between all parties in the organization.

2. Attend meeting as required, typically there is a morning meeting to track progress.

Answer and give guidance as required.

3. Issue written guidelines for planned task. The operating company can utilize these
guidelines to develop the daily orders.
4. Manage the commissioning engineer and operator.

5. Ensure that site processes are monitored and controlled to achieve safe and
economical operation while developing all operators to their full potential.

6. Coach the operators to complete the maximum possible amount of follow-up on their
own when items are not as per normal operation. Be an approachable coach to those
on your team. Help the operators learn and grow by enthusiastically sharing your
knowledge with them and helping them solve problems.

7. Provide technical leadership and expertise to facilitate safe, reliable, and economical
operation of the site processes.

Commissioning Engineer

The Commissioning Engineer typically is a Chemical / Mechanical Engineer with some

design and operations experience. The Commissioning Engineers contribute to the team by
performing a technically oriented service function. They must remember to respect the
supervisory role of the operations supervisors and work through them on all issues related to
operations.

The Commissioning Engineer will record and track the Acceptance Test Run procedure data
and make recommendations where and when adjustments need to be implemented. They
can be utilized on shift or on a straight day mode.

Responsibilities;

1. Encourage open communication between all parties in the organization.

Communication is essential to the success of any organization. Continually strive to
develop a positive relationship with open communication with the operators as well as
the Production Supervisor.

2. Record Acceptance Test Run data.

3. Develop recommendations to improve Acceptance Test Run.

4. Ensure that site processes are monitored and controlled to achieve safe and
economical operation while developing all operators to their full potential.

5. Coach the operators to complete the maximum possible amount of follow-up on their
own when items are not as per normal operation. Be an approachable coach to those
on your team. Help the operators learn and grow by enthusiastically sharing your
knowledge with them and helping them solve problems.
6. If on shift;

A. At the beginning of each shift exchange information - be inquisitive; fully

understand the state of operations, problems, etc.

B. Initiate any immediate action needed (recommendations for Maintenance,

Operators, etc).

C. Review the operation soon after shift change and several times throughout the
day.

Inside – review board operations and product specifications

Outside - review outside route via round sheets immediately after completing each
route. This helps to detect trends that may not have been noticed while collecting
data.

D. At end of shift be sure to effectively verbally communicate to your relief, be sure

and record all significant items in the logbook.

Commissioning Operator
The Commissioning Operator typically is operations personnel with greater than 10 years’
operations experience. They will have seen several chemical plant grass roots start ups.
They must remember to respect the supervisory role of the operations supervisors and
work through them on all issues related to operations.

The Commissioning Operator will record and track the Acceptance Test Run procedure
data. They are typically utilized on shift mode.

Responsibilities;

1. Encourage open communication between all parties in the organization.

Communication is essential to the success of any organization. Continually strive to
develop a positive relationship with open communication with the operators as well
as the Production Supervisor.

2. Record Acceptance Test Run data.

3. Ensure that site processes are monitored and controlled to achieve safe and
economical operation while developing all operators to their full potential.
4. Coach the operators to complete the maximum possible amount of follow-up on their
own when items are not as per normal operation. Be an approachable coach to those
on your team. Help the operators learn and grow by enthusiastically sharing your
knowledge with them and helping them solve problems.

5. While on shift;

A. At the beginning of each shift exchange information - be inquisitive; fully

understand the state of operations, problems, etc.

B. Initiate any immediate action needed (recommendations for Maintenance,

Operators, etc).

C. Review the operation soon after shift change and several times throughout the
day.

Inside – review board operations and product specifications

Outside - review outside route via round sheets immediately after completing each
route. This helps to detect trends that may not have been noticed while collecting data.

D. At end of shift be sure to effectively verbally communicate to your relief, be sure

and record all significant items in the logbook.