Planning For Startup
Startup is the transitional phase between plant construction completion and commercial operations, including all the activities that bridge these two phases. Critical steps within Startup include system turnover, checkout of systems, commissioning of systems, introduction of feedstock, and performance testing.
The importance of Startup planning is exemplified by the pressures to increase profits by reducing costs, reductions in owner staff and increases in outsourcing of services, demands for shorter project life-cycle times, and a lack of planning capabilities and supportive tools. These business and project challenges demand increases in organizational efficiency and management effectiveness.
Successful project delivery and commercial operation requires a successful Startup. Research indicates a reasonably strong correlation between Startup success and comprehensive Startup planning.
PTAG provides a Startup Planning Model for Startup activities through all eight project phases:
- Requirements Definition and Technology Transfer
- Conceptual Development and Feasibility
- Front-End Engineering
- Detailed Design
- Procurement
- Construction
- Checkout & Commissioning
- Initial Operations
