This paper shows how a control strategy using a 'fictitious' set point can be applied to the tracking control problem of a batch reactor process, and demonstrates that excellent control results have been obtained. In this process, the reactor temperature is required to be raised at a fixed rate from the start-up to the desired temperature, and to be kept at that temperature. PID control was previously used to achieve this objective, but the reactor temperature showed frequent variations near the desired temperature, and heating steam and cooling water were wasted in this type of control. Conventional variable-structure control is then considered to avoid such variations. However, a computer simulation shows that the tracking control response cannot be improved by this means. To reduce the frequent temperature variations and the waste of energy, a new control strategy is applied to this process, following computer simulations. The experimental results are that this method is quite effective as compared with PID control and conventional VSC laws, and that the temperature variation and the consumption of both steam and cooling water were decreased by 50 and 45%, respectively.