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Project Management

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Managing “First-of-a-Kind” Projects in the CPI

Developing a new technology from idea to commercial production involves major risks. Presented here are tools that project-management teams can use to mitigate them Technology development in the chemical process industries (CPI) involves designing and building facilities for which there…

Six Steps to Designing a Storage Vessel That Really Works

Designing a storage vessel for your plant requires a methodical approach. This article outlines six steps to follow in designing, installing and starting up a storage vessel that successfully handles your bulk material under your operating conditions. Have you experienced…

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Effective Contracting for a Pilot Plant

Contracting a pilot plant is a viable approach for any organization. However, it can be fraught with potential issues, which need to be understood and addressed in advance Reduced in-house resources have limited the options many organizations have for designing…

2021 CEPCI updates: April (prelim.) and March (final)

The preliminary value for the CE Plant Cost Index (CEPCI) for April 2021 (most recent available) continues the string of sizeable monthly increases. In April, large upticks were observed in the Equipment, Buildings and Construction Labor subindices, while the Engineering…

Facts At Your Fingertips: Cost Estimation and Risk

Understanding project risks is critical to arriving at useful cost estimates. Since each capital project in the chemical process industries (CPI) is somewhat unique, it can be difficult for engineers and project leaders to price risks in their estimates and…

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Best Practices in Capital Equipment Commissioning

Ensuring that real-world commissioning tests are properly executed can benefit both equipment end users and suppliers Every capital equipment project comes to a point when operations teams expect payback to begin on the investment. How soon those benefits are realized…

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Commissioning and Startup: Increase Certainty Through Advanced Planning

Taking commissioning and startup into consideration during the early design phase can result in more predictable project schedules and more robust equipment designs Historically, new capital projects and facility upgrades in the chemical process industries (CPI) were designed with a…

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Get the Most Out of an Owner-Contractor Alliance

This article provides guidance for setting up a robust alliance between plant owners and EPC contractors to minimize risk and maximize synergies during complex, capital-intensive projects The most meaningful collaboration pathway among plant owners and engineering, procurement and construction (EPC)…

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Outsourcing and Offshoring Engineering and Fabrication Activities

Follow these tips to get the most out of these high-risk, high-reward, third-party arrangements Outsourcing is the subcontracting of a business function to an outside entity. The concept of outsourcing was first articulated by David Ricardo, an English economist in…

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Practical Solutions to Modular Project Execution

Follow this guidance to improve results on capital projects The opportunities for modularizing industrial and chemical projects are growing at an amazing pace. Once considered a mitigation strategy only for projects in remote areas with harsh climatic conditions or a…