These days there’s an increasing focus on climate change and environmental concerns across the EPC sector, with companies becoming keen to adopt sustainable practices in their EPC projects across the globe. These initiatives are not just in response to pressure from governments or local activists; many have of their own accord decided to take on board policies and practices related to environmental considerations and resource management because they wish to reduce their carbon footprint in a real and measurable way. Such companies have started exploring the latest technologies that can help them meet their goals. What exactly are those goals?
It starts with a commitment to responsibly move towards transformation of their business process in the hope of creating a sustainable corporate eco-system within the larger global ecosystem. This is a serious commitment, and not to be taken lightly. In an era when everyone is discussing the ravages of climate change, the importance of such practices and policies cannot be overstated, especially in an industry like EPC which so profoundly shapes our world.
For this reason, EPC is increasingly coming under scrutiny as one of the primary contributors to environmental issues on the global stage. Across the E, P, and C cycles of a typical project, many areas have been identified which can be improved in this regard and the adoption of digital information management systems is coming to the forefront as one of the most impactful ways of achieving the desired changes. In fact,
a digital EPC software is the most effective way of transforming the way projects are planned and monitored from design to final signoff. Thus, public focus on eco-friendly construction practices has over the last few years nudged more and more EPC organisations to step up and do their part towards the environment, and integrating technology-driven sustainability practices into every aspect of the EPC lifecycle is the first step in that direction.
Let’s start with understanding the Environmental considerations that come into play when a company has decided to adopt sustainable practices in their EPC projects.
This is a complex undertaking. First, one must conduct a detailed and comprehensive evaluation of the possible impact the project could have on its environment, before, during, and after the project construction, and this knowledge will help the project’s design engineers make informed decisions. For example, a well-designed EPC system will provide engineers will the accurate data they need to ensure that the natural resources on the site and its surrounding areas are protected as much as possible while also ensuring that the right site is selected for the project. Site selection has to be done consciously and with one eye fixed on the potential impact the project will have on the local and linked ecologies like neighbourhood lakes or rainwater systems.
Another key aspect to consider is the management of waste. Steps can be taken to both minimize waste production and maximise the efficiency of how that waste is processed. In this way companies can ensure that the project will not leave a lasting negative impact on the environment.
Engineers should also consider ways to minimise and/or prevent pollution and lessen the environmental footprint and should work to integrate those measures into the day-to-day workflows used by the entire team. An EPC management software will be invaluable in such endeavours because it can arm everybody involved with the tools and knowledge needed to adopt and implement practical and proven methods of enabling sustainability.
Next we need to look at water, a very precious resource. Water scarcity is becoming a concern around the world. Of course projects that deal with water and water treatment can play a large role in saving the planet’s resources by adopting the latest engineering technologies but with a modern EPC software any project company in any vertical can minimise water consumption while maximising water saving and recycling through the use of smart irrigation and low-flow systems. Rainwater harvesting systems especially will be crucial in the preservation of this precious natural resource in the years to come as our cities keep expanding and the demand for potable water keeps growing. Modern EPC and construction companies should adopt these latest methods of water management and so ease their dependency on local water systems.
We cannot discuss sustainable EPC systems without touching on a key point – namely profitability. The truth is that although the adoption of sustainable practices may in some cases involve higher costs in the short term, in the long term the benefits will more than make up for any small early costs. and in fact far outweigh them. That is why today’s project teams need to be on board from the outset and work together to create plans with everybody’s buy-in. Senior management should invest the time to understand how initial investments will be offset by the long-term gains.
To conclude, there are many changes a company can make in its engineering, procurement, and construction process that will affect the environment in a beneficial way, and the adoption of digital EPC systems is a good catalyst towards that change.