Many project professionals understand that commissioning plays a critical role in the successful delivery of any complex project. However, despite its importance, commissioning is often poorly understood in the overall project organization, which can result in a lack of planning, increased execution costs, unnecessary delays, and overall reduced quality and operability.

Over the last 17 years, I have been heavily involved in the successful commissioning of various types of facilities across the globe, including Ore Processing Plants, Offshore Oil & Gas Facilities, Power Utilities, and Chemicals Plants. Although each of these projects has followed differing commissioning frameworks and terminology (often the main source of confusion), in essence, they all share a common structure of major activities that can be described into the following categories:

1. Pre-Commissioning
2. Commissioning
3. Start-up

Pre-Commissioning

Pre-commissioning involves activities performed during construction that prepare and enable the asset/system/subsystem to proceed to the main commissioning phase. Among the pre-commissioning activities are: electrical and motor checks, instrument loop testing, leak testing, first fills, inspections and construction verification, punch listing, and mechanical completion milestones.

Additionally, the use of a Completions Management System (CMS) is normally set up during this phase and is used to track and report on construction and pre-commissioning progress. The closeout of Factory Acceptance Testing is also tracked within this phase of the project in preparation for site acceptance.

Commissioning

Commissioning activities are those carried out following pre-commissioning and prior to system start-up to verify, dynamically, the functionality of equipment and to ensure that systems or facilities forming part of a system are in accordance with specified requirements to bring the system into operation. Generally, the first systems are the plant utility systems that enable the commissioning of process areas and team mobilization, including instrument & plant air, fire systems, potable & raw water, and power. This is then followed by the systematic commissioning of the remaining systems based on the priorities set by the Commissioning Manager. At the end of the commissioning phase, both the Commissioning Team and Operations team have sufficient confidence in the facility’s ability to function as per the design.

Start-up

Start-Up involves activities that begin the initial introduction of the product into the various systems. After the first product is introduced, additional commissioning activities will be required to complete the Operational Test Procedures and prove the facility can produce its output quality. When the facility has been proven to operate in accordance with the design, the start-up is complete.

While the above describes the commissioning phases in a simplified manner, it is also worth noting the early phase preparation that is required to ensure a successful project.

This process is shown below.

Project Requirements

Project requirements are generally defined at the FEED phase of the project and lead into the execution phase. The goal here is to identify any commissioning-related project requirements and ensure the Commissioning team has input into the budget, design, estimates, and contracting strategy. At this stage commissioning philosophy is usually developed.

Commissioning Preparation

This stage of commissioning preparation is used to develop detailed commissioning documentation. Some of these include: Commissioning Management Plan (CMP), Commissioning Test Procedures (CTP), Commissioning plan, commissioning systemisation and schedule, recruitment of key personnel, and defining handover requirements. A big part of a successful commissioning effort is the preparation stage.

Start-up

There are additional steps and tasks that need to be executed during and after the start-up stage. Depending on the company and project itself additional commissioning scope may be: achieve target results (nameplate), train operations personnel, and manage and operate the facility for a set period (if operation staff is not onboarded).

Conclusion on What is Commissioning?

In conclusion, the commissioning phase can span from the early stages of the project right to the operation and production phase of the project. It is important to keep in mind that every project is different and there are many variables that affect how early/late commissioning is engaged. Despite project differences, every project’s commissioning phase can be broken into the 3 main phases – pre-commissioning, commissioning and start up.

It is a detailed subject, but can be understood easily if you understand the basics. Over the next few articles we will attempt to cover most of the commissioning/completion’s topics in more detail.