Читать книгу Integrating Sustainability Into Major Projects - Wayne McPhee - Страница 43

The engineer, procurement, and construct (EPC) project structure, also known as design-build, is a variation on EPCM where the owner hires a consulting firm to complete the full project delivery of the project, including full control over the project construction, and then hands the project over to the owner for operations during commissioning. In the traditional EPC contract, the owner is still responsible for financing and sustainability activities but has less control over procurement and selection of contractors. This is especially true when the EPC contract is structured as a fixed-price contract that provides a strong incentive for the EPC firm to minimize overall costs with no incentive to build or maintain community support.

From a sustainability perspective the EPC project structure can be difficult to integrate environmental and social goals into project delivery. For example, renewable power systems that have a large capital cost but low operating costs may be rejected in favor of traditional hydrocarbon power plants that come with lower capital costs and lower short-term risks. As with EPCM contracts, it is important to clearly identify who is responsible for meeting project commitments, how sustainability will be incorporated into all project activities, and how incentives will be used to optimize long-term performance, maintain community support, build a strong local workforce, and utilize innovative solutions.