Pre-commissioning or Commissioning Activities

Pre-commissioning or Commissioning Activities

Before a plant or facility is handed over for normal operation, it should be inspected, checked, cleaned, flushed, verified and tested. This process is called commissioning and involves both the contractor and operator of a facility.

The transition from construction to operation is the commissioning and startup. Processing plant commissioning embraces activities such as cleaning, flushing, verifications, leak tests, performance evaluation and functional tests essential for bringing a newly installed plant or facility into routine operation.

Correct commissioning is vital to the satisfactory operation of any plant or facility. A schedule must be established with benchmarks and monitoring activities in order to keep track of progress.

Health, Safety, and Environmental (HSE) Management plan:

HSE 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.

Instrumentation Commissioning takes place when Mechanical completion is completed for a system or part of a system.

Commissioning can be divided into three main activities:

Commissioning Preparation

commissioning preparation required to maintain two types of records

1. Commissioning Preparation Check Record

Valves and equipment flow direction correct.

Orifice plates installed check plate tab and its description.

All instruments hooked up.

2. Instrument Installation and Inspection Installation check

  1. Check the instrument against the datasheet.
  2. Check CE marking.
  3. Check calibration certificates.
  4. Installation check.
  5. Leakage test.
  6. Flushing carried out.

Few example checklists:

Commissioning Execution

Commissioning Documentation Preparation & Handover

Following are the documentation is prepared before the startup or at the end of commissioning and to be handed over once the commissioning process has been completed.

Engineering Documentation

Final Documents for Commissioning

After the successful completion of all pre-commissioning activities, the following list of final documents should be available readily for the commissioning activities.

  1. System P&ID’s
  2. Decontamination procedure & isolation register
  3. System cleaning procedures
  4. Hazard Study and actions
  5. Equipment Check Sheets, off and on-site checks
  6. System Punch lists
  7. Action upon Alarm Sheet
  8. Handover Certificate Construction/Maintenance to Commissioning
  9. Project documentation check sheet prior to the introduction of safe chemicals
  10. Safe Chemical Commissioning authorization and Pre-commissioning Procedures
  11. Leak Test Checklist and Procedures
  12. Instrument Check Sheet
  13. Motor Check Sheet
  14. Interlock Check procedures
  15. Emergency Shut Down System check procedures
  16. DCS sequence test procedures
  17. Relief Stream Check Sheets
  18. Critical Insulation Checks
  19. Critical Gasket Installation Checks
  20. Lubrication Check Sheet
  21. PSSR, Plant Check-out prior to the introduction of Hazardous Chemicals
  22. Documentation Requirements for Ongoing Maintenance Group
  23. Authority to Introduce Process Chemicals, check sheet & Certificate
  24. Commissioning Procedures
  25. Standard Operating Procedures
  26. Commissioning to Plant Handover Certificate

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