EPCM Contracting: The New IChemE Blue Book

Paul Buckingham KC, Vanessa Medina and Robert Colvin

October 2024

A paper presented to the Society of Construction Law at a meeting in London on 7 November 2023

The paper looks at Engineering, Procurement and Construction Management (EPCM) which has for many years been an established method of procurement for major projects, especially in the process sector. As a contracting model it is an alternative to Engineering, Procurement and Construction (EPC) contracting. The paper explores the market drivers for an EPCM method of contracting and the principal differences in the two contracting methods. It provides an introduction to the IChemE Blue Book 2023 and looks in detail at how specific risks and dispute resolution are dealt with in that standard form.

1. Executive Summary – 2. A changing landscape: the drivers for dynamic contracting – 3. How does EPCM differ from EPC? – 4. Introduction to the IChemE Blue Book 2023 – 5. Treatment of key risks under the IChemE Blue Book – 6. Disputes under the IChemE Blue Book – 7. The future of EPCM

The authors: Paul Buckingham KC is a barrister practising from Keating Chambers, Vanessa Medina is Senior Legal Director at Vision Invest and Robert Colvin is a senior associate at Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer

Text: 13 pages