Integrating Sustainability Into Major Projects

CHAPTER 13Commissioning

Commissioning is the final phase in project execution, the primary goal of which is to ensure that the project has been completed and to set the operating team up for success. When sustainability has been integrated into a major project, success also means that the operation has been set up for the best possible environmental and social performance.

During commissioning the project team should focus on coordinating a smooth transition with the operations team to:

• Protect and continue the strong stakeholder relationships that have been developed.
• Maintain commitments to sustainability, environmental and social management systems, and monitoring programs (modified accordingly for operations).
• Ensure that construction work is finished properly to minimize environmental damage.
• Maximize the benefits of local capacity building by continuing to employ as much of the trained local employees and utilizing the local supply chain for operations.

Several factors are required to achieve a successful transition to operations. Commissioning must include systems to ensure that the facility will have sustainability built into its core operational procedures and processes. The investments and resources allocated to optimizing social and environmental performance during project execution phases will be lost if the commissioning strategy does not address the conscious transitioning of sustainability systems over to operations. This will provide operations with the ability ...