MANAGEMENT OF LARGE HIGH TECHNOLOGY PROJECTS

The design and construction of a modern commercial power station is a very large undertaking. Such projects cost between 100 million and 1000 million pounds, and the economic pressure to reduce first costs and improve thermal efficiency and manpower utilisation has led to power stations becoming very large and extremely complex with many of their design features at the very limit of current technology. As their lead times are invariably longer than the rate of change of technology, commitment to technological advances has often to be made before significant operating experience has been obtained. This is not wrong in itself but it means that very sophisticated management is required to produce reliable plant.