The project development cycle for an established process technology is well known, with an initial Conceptual Design phase to define the project, develop a block flow diagram, and generate a cost estimate that is typically +/- 50%. Feasibility, Basic Engineering, Detailed Engineering, Procurement and Construction, and Start-up then follow.
The conceptual design phase for an established technology can generally be completed in 2-4 months. However, for a new technology we need much more time to get this right! To do this we can bring process engineering into the picture as early as possible, even before discovery R&D. In fact, if we start with the conceptual design, or process concept, we can use this as a framework to drive new technology development, scale-up and commercialization. This process concept is not set in stone, and, in fact, should be reviewed and updated as we progress throughout the scale-up effort.
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