Pilot Plants: Acid Tests for Researchers in Pushing New Technologies Towards Commercialisation

Abstract

In any R&D projects, the researchers begin with a Proof-Of-Concept where the research proposal is subjected to scrutiny by a team of experts. If it passes muster, it is then nurtured through stages of development, piloting, deployment and ultimately, commercialization. In PETRONAS, the researchers' share of work has never been confined only at the lab. Once the work has been scientifically or technically proven at lab scale, they are pushed to the hard part of looking into the practicalities and economics of applying the technology into the real world. Piloting of a technology is a challenge for researchers who have to move beyond their comfort zone of "pure" research to look into a host of factors that determine the success of real life applications of their work. There are countless parameters to consider ranging from costs to risks. Researchers are also expected to forego their "dream" for a perfect technology and accept the imperfections with calculated risks in order to move the technology to the next level. They are anticipated to provide mitigation plans for the risks that come together with the technology deployment to meet every aspect of the safety requirements. The minds of the researchers have been instilled with one clear goal in their pursuits of technologies – bringing them beyond the lab to be deployed in the fields, where they can add values to the Businesses. To date, PETRONAS has successfully deployed more than 5 pilot plants on various R&D areas to several plant operating sites in Malaysia. This has kept the researcher teams busy and on their toes with the challenges and triumphs of seeing new technologies go live and subjected to real operating conditions. In every step of pushing a technology from lab to pilot and up to commercialization, the researchers have gained many important traits from the science, economics, engineering, operation and commercialization of the technology, hence, producing "all-rounded" researchers. The process pushes them to work and understand the requirements of not only their fellow researchers, but also those people of different backgrounds from engineers who turn their R&D concept to pilot unit to commercial personnel who needs convincing in order to sell their technology. Through researchers' involvements from lab-scale to pilot, and often up to commercialization of the technologies, a significant leval of knowledge and skill has been acquired together with the developments of tools and methods to successfully deliver new technologies.