Mega Crackers: Challenges and Road Ahead

The definition of ‘World-Scale’ for operating plants has been rapidly evolving, enabled by innovations in process technologies and advancements in equipment design. Robust reliability and safety integrity systems adopted by operating companies are helping sustain these facilities, resulting in increased demand of such capacities. Favorable ROI make them compelling. Nonetheless, the size itself adds complexities at each stage of the project.

Emission/Environmental considerations, increased focus on embracing and sustaining green initiatives by producers, robust regulatory practices and compliance, local community pressures etc. have put added impetus on minimization of flaring and thus optimization and effective execution of commissioning and startup activities. While companies do focus on these activities, the factors affecting the same go beyond these specific activities.

This paper highlights critical challenges to commissioning and startup activities with focus on Mega Crackers based on actual experiences. It intends to draw attention towards contributory factors from each stage of the project, viz. design, equipment selection, pre-commissioning, commissioning and startup. It is true that most challenges experienced in commissioning and startup are a result of design considerations and poor pre-commissioning and preservation. These happen in spite of the numerous risk control processes and systems that companies follow.

Initial Ops at Lummus Technology is typically involved in internal P&ID reviews, developing Standard Operating Manuals, mechanical checks at site and advice clients in pre-commissioning, commissioning and startup of facilities. This provides a 360° perspective of the process and installed facility and the opportunity to do so with multiple world class client’s help understand the challenges and address them effectively. This paper intends to highlight such experiences.