Testing & Commissioning of Roundhill Sewage Sludge Incinerator

Introduction

This paper describes the approach taken to the planning and management of the
testing, inspection and commissioning of a sewage sludge incineration plant. It
highlights the importance of early and thorough preparation of a testing and
commissioning programme on any process plant project, and the need to allow for a
suitable contingency for the problems which inevitably occur in a plant
commissioning process.

Project Summary

The project consisted of the design and construction of a sewage sludge incineration
plant with a capacity to handle 15,000 tonnes per annum of dry solids. The design
included the full process design of the plant to a performance specification, and the
detailed mechanical, electrical, civil and structural design of the project. Civil
engineering construction included modification of an existing building to house the
new plant and construction of an external effluent treatment plant. The principal plant
elements of the project consisted of de-watering and effluent treatment, sludge
handling and drying, fluidised bed incineration and gas cleaning plant, and ash
handling plant to load the ash from combustion into wagons for transport off site. A
number of aspects of the project and specification resulted in sections of the plant
being required to achieve performance beyond that previously achieved in the
industry, which was found to have a significant affect on the commissioning
programme.
Stages of Testing & Commissioning

Pre-commissioning Testing: Electrical and mechanical tests needed to be carried

out on the plant and electrical equipment, both at the works prior to delivery and on
site after installation, prior to setting the plant to work.

Commissioning: The contract required commissioning of the plant to be carried out

in the following three phases:

• Tests Before Completion

• Acceptance Tests
• Extended Tests

The purpose of each phase of commissioning was:

Tests Before Completion: To demonstrate that each item of plant was capable of
correct operation under local and remote control and normal and fault condition, and
that the plant as a whole could be run by the contractor at full capacity, in accordance
with the specification, for a continuous period of one week.

Acceptance Tests: To demonstrates that the plant could be operated by the client at
full capacity for a continuous period of one month.

Extended Tests: To demonstrate that the plant could achieve it’s performance
guarantee requirements over a period of three months.

This paper concentrates on the programming and execution of the pre-

commissioning tests, and the Tests Before Completion Phase of the project, as it
was during this phase that the plant was set to work, and contract completion was
dictated by the completion of this phase. The further phases of Acceptance Tests
and Extended Tests were carried out by the client after completion, with
representatives of the contractor in attendance, and are not covered in this paper.

Objectives of the Testing & Commissioning Programme

The need for a detailed commissioning programme was identified early in the project,
to achieve the following objectives:

• A logical progressive sequence for testing and setting to work of the plant
leading up to achieving the required contract completion
• Ensuring that the plant installation programme was prioritised to meet the
commissioning sequence
• Ensuring that the various plant and electrical suppliers and subcontractors
understood the timetable they each had to work within to ensure the
successful commissioning of the plant as a whole
• Advising the client of the required timetable for provision of commissioning
consumables.
• Advising the client of the required timetable for provision of effluent,
screenings and sludge cake for treatment
• Advising the client of when staff were required to be available for training
• Achieving a planned programme of testing and witnessing which spread this
task evenly over the commissioning period to ensure that all those involved
had a steady workload
 • Allowance of reasonable contingency period for addressing problems arising
from commissioning
• Production of O&M manuals prior to staff training and contract completion

Approach to the Commissioning Programme

The first task was to identify the various stages of commissioning, and to determine a
logical sequence of plant start-up. This dictated the required order of testing and
commissioning each section of the plant.

The next task was to identify the earliest stage at which the commissioning process
could commence from the programme for plant and electrical installation, and the
periods required for start-up of each section of the plant.

Detailed discussions with each plant supplier were required, with the principal
suppliers each being required to prepare a detailed commissioning programme for
their plant, so that commissioning periods were fully understood and incorporated
into the overall plant commissioning programme.

A significant contingency period (in excess of 12 weeks) was allowed in the

commissioning programme to allow for unforeseen difficulties, and the client was
advised of the possibility of early completion if everything went well. This
contingency proved vital, and in the event was all used up, leading to completion on
the required contract completion date.

A decision had been made early in the project to have one common supplier of
switchgear and control equipment, and one common electrical installation contractor,
which the different plant suppliers were required to use for their section of the works.
This decision was a major factor in the success of the commissioning process.

The overall commissioning programme was closely monitored and regularly updated
during the commissioning process, to keep track of progress, incorporate any plant
modifications found to be necessary, and report accordingly to the client and all
parties involved in the project.

During the course of the commissioning process, detailed two week look-ahead
programmes were produced and updated weekly to ensure that all activities were co-
ordinated on site, adequate resources were available, and that all parties were fully
informed of forthcoming activities at all times.

The planning software used for production of the overall plant commissioning
programme, and the weekly programmes produced during the commissioning
process was PowerProject software by ASTA developments. This software was able
to clearly illustrate the tasks of each of the main subcontractors, and each stage of
commissioning, through the use of bar libraries with different categories of activity in
different colours and shading. Each of the plant suppliers used their own software, or
produced hand drawn bar charts for the commissioning of their equipment. The
periods on these detailed programmes were summarised within the overall
commissioning programme.
Plant Start-up Sequence

Identification of a logical progressive start-up of the plant formed the basis of the
testing and commissioning programme. The start-up sequence determined
consisted of the following principal stages:

• Commissioning and starting up all systems which can be operated

independently and do not require sewage effluent or sludge. (e.g. building
services, incinerator sand handling, lime treatment plant for gas cleaning)
• Start up and operation of the wet sludge dewatering and effluent treatment
plant, including seeding and establishment of the required media in the
aeration tanks.
• Bringing the fluidised bed incinerator progressively up to operating
temperature using fuel oil, in parallel with getting the gas cleaning plant
commissioned
• A period of continuous operation of the incinerator at full temperature on fuel
oil only, and further commissioning and testing of the gas cleaning plant, prior
to sludge incineration
• Commissioning the screenings and sludge handling plant leading up the
feeding of product to the incinerator.
• The operation of the incinerator and gas cleaning plant on dewatered sludge,
including the commissioning of the ash handling plant
• The commissioning of the sludge dryer and introduction of dried sludge into
the incineration process
• Preparation for the seven day continuous operation test
• Seven day continuous operation test.

Pre-commissioning and commissioning were then programmed to achieve this

overall start-up sequence.
Pre-commissioning Testing

Pre-commissioning tests consisted of:

• Inspection and testing of plant and electrical equipment at the works prior to
delivery
• Electrical cabling tests on site
• Pipework tests
• Motor run tests
• Checking instrument signals
• Dry running of the plant

A programme of plant testing at the works was prepared, and the client was provided
with sufficient notice of these tests to enable him to decide if he wished to attend
these tests, and to organise the required representation. The client attended all off-
site tests of electrical equipment, which were carried out at the supplier’s works in the
UK, but few of the plant tests at the works, which in many cases were carried out at
supplier’s works outside the UK.

On-site electrical cable tests were carried out by the electrical contractor and
witnessed by the main contractor and client’s representatives. Similarly, pipework
tests were carried out on each system, and signed off.

Motor run tests and checking of instrument signals was carried out, prior to dry
running of the plant.

Test Before Completion

The tests before completion phase of commissioning consisted of the following

activities:

• Demonstration of each item of plant under central and local control, under
normal and fault conditions
• Receipt of consumables and product for treatment
• Wet running of each item of plant
• Setting to work of the plant as a whole
• Preparation of O&M manuals
• Provision of training to the client’s operation and maintenance staff
• The operation of the plant by the contractor for a continuous period of 7 days

A standard format of certificate was produced for recording the witnessing of tests on
each plant item. These were signed off by the plant supplier, and the main
contractor’s and client’s representatives. Testing each section of the plant for correct
operation in normal and fault conditions was carried out in dry running conditions.

Following proving of plant operation in dry running, the plant was operated and tested
in wet conditions as part of the setting to work process.

The final section of the tests before completion was the seven day continuous
operation test. In view of the ground breaking nature of the plant it would have been
unrealistic to expect this test to have been successful first time through, and it was
therefore programmed to be carried out prior to contract completion allowing a period
for re-testing should the test fail.

Production of O&M Manuals and Provision of Staff Training

The production of the Operation and Maintenance Manuals, and the provision of
training to the operation and maintenance staff was an essential part of the
commissioning programme, without which contract completion would not be granted.
This also therefore required detailed planning and management.

The provision of the O&M manuals was planned in the following stage:

• Definition of the structure of the manuals by the main contractor, and

allocation of responsibilities for drafting section of the manual to the various
suppliers and subcontractors
• Collection of suppliers literature
• Writing and editing of operating instructions by relevant parties
• Final copying and binding

O&M Manuals were required under the contract to be completed at least 7 days prior
to the commencement of training, which resulted in the manuals being required well
ahead of contract completion. In the event they were made available to the client a
month prior to training, with minor revisions provided as became necessary during
the commissioning process.

A programme of staff training was also compiled. The client’s staff were encouraged
to become involved in the plant during the commissioning process, and the early
issue of the O&M manuals enabled them to commence entering of plant
maintenance schedules into their own system well in advance of project handover. A
three-week training course was run for the client’s operation and maintenance staff.
The course was structured such that a different section of the plant was covered on
each day, with each days training consisting of a morning of classroom training,
followed by an afternoon of training on the plant. Following a one-day introduction by
the main contractor, the training on each item of plant was given by the relevant
supplier.
Conclusions

The as-built testing and commissioning programme is summarised below:

Months 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24

Design & Construction

Design & procurement
Civil engineering construction
Plant & electrical installation
Commissioning
Off site plant tests
Off site electrical equipment tests
Pipe tests & cable tests
Pre-start tests & inspections
Dry running of plant
Wet running of plant
Plant modifications
Production of O&M Manuals
Modifications to O&M's
Staff Training
Demonstrate each section of plant
Plant Start-up
Continuous 7 day operation

The total period for on-site pre-commissioning testing was 5 months, which had not
been identified as an activity on the tender programme. The total period for
commissioning was 26 weeks, against an allowance at tender stage of 12 weeks.
The additional time was required to address modifications to the plant found to be
necessary during the commissioning process. It was only on commencing
commissioning that the extent to which sections of the plant were being required by
the design and specification to operate beyond their previously proven performance,
started to be fully appreciated and to discover the problems arising from this.
Fortunately the commissioning process was commenced 14 weeks ahead of the
tender programme, allowing completion of required modifications and final
commissioning to be achieved by the contract completion date.

The main lessons learnt from the commissioning of this project were:

• The importance of the production of a commissioning programme sufficiently

early in the project to direct the plant installation programme.
• The need to start the testing and commissioning process as early as possible
in the project programme, allowing a significant contingency for addressing
problems encountered during commissioning
• The importance of understanding how well proven the plant and technology
is, and consequently the areas of time risk in the commissioning process
• The complexity of co-ordinating the commissioning a large number of
individual plant items in sequence leading up to the operation of the plant as a
whole.
• The benefits in having a project of this complexity managed by a Project
Manager from a planning discipline.
View of the project during construction illustrating the main incineration,
gas cleaning and associated plant building in the background, and the plant
for treatment of centrate from the sludge dewatering process in the
foreground.

David Roberts
13th May 2005