Why Do Projects Really Fail In The UK?

by Rami Elias Kremesti M.Sc., CSci, CEnv, CWEM

Kremesti Environmental Consulting Ltd

Introduction

This is my tenth year living in the UK. I came in 2015 to work on the Carrington Power Station as a water treatment specialist and power station chemist, hoping to live and work in a better place than my home countries of Lebanon and Bulgaria. You have no idea how much I detest corruption and incompetence and arrogance…

Over the last ten years, I have face disappointment after disappointment in my professional line of work here. I have seen the best and the worst in project management, leadership and project implementation and some of my worst experiences were in the UK. I started my career in 2005 in Saudi Arabia working on the large petrochemical plants. then I worked in Europe for 8 years. In 2016 after Brexit I realised that people in government and the people themselves are not that smart either – generally speaking…. Something a bit different about the Scottish and Irish though I have to say….

There is talk about Decay and Decline in the UK according to The Guardian. Across all social classes. Crime, Alcoholism, Mental Illness, Benefits Scams, Drugs, sexual perversion, lack of initiative, no sense of Community, no Social Cohesion, no Moral Compass, lack of discipline, nepotism, Nimbyism, sense of entitlement… it is all pervading…. I believe this is the underlying factor behind project failures in the UK that no one talks about. Not even the overpaid management consultants.

Reasons Why Projects Fail In The UK

Projects fail in the UK due to a variety of factors, including:

Poor planning,
Lack of leadership
Lack of clear communication,
Insufficient stakeholder engagement,
Ineffective project management.
Unrealistic expectations,
Resource constraints,
Changes in scope or direction .
Bureaucracy – delays in permitting and EIA Studies/protests/Nimbyism
Lack of Consensus
Lack of Talent
Lack of Accountability
Too much bla bla bla in meetings
Lack of respect for smart foreigners/racism
Arrogance and Ignorance
Lack of Education/cultural sophistication

The HS2 Story

The HS2 story is a Greek tragedy in which high aspirations were dashed by avoidable human failures to achieve those aspirations.

Reference: https://www.productivity.ac.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/PIP052-What-went-wrong-with-HS2-February-2025.pdf

Poor cost management indicates a failure of governance and oversight at both HS2 Ltd and DfT (Department for Transport).

Reference: https://committees.parliament.uk/committee/127/public-accounts-committee/news/199769/hs2-verdict-scheme-now-very-poor-value-for-money-after-northern-leg-cancellation/

Failed UK Energy from Waste (EfW) Projects:

Energy from Waste plants either incinerate municipal solid waste or gasify it to produce electrical energy. I have heard horror stories about EfW projects failing in the UK.

Air Products Teesside:

Two waste gasification facilities were mothballed in 2016, resulting in a loss of up to $1 billion for Air Products.

Scotgen Dargavel:

This plant had its permit revoked in 2013 due to repeated breaches of conditions and enforcement notices, including a fire.

Innovative Environmental Solutions (Oldbury):

A deadly explosion and fire in 2017 led to the shutdown of this plant, which was designed to process automotive shredder residue.

Tees Valley Project:

Two gasification projects (Tees Valley 1 and 2) faced delays and were ultimately abandoned due to design and operational challenges, costing an estimated £320 million for the first plant.

Viridor’s Glasgow Recycling and Renewable Energy Centre (GRREC):

Deterioration in the construction of the gasification plant led to the company’s construction firm, Interserve, leaving the energy-from-waste industry.

Hoddesdon:

This gasification plant, backed by Foresight and the Green Investment Bank, was also shut down.

Aviva’s Three Gasification Plants:

Aviva decided to divest three gasification plants (Hull, Barry, and Boston) after an independent review found the technology challenging and the plants unprofitable.

Metso’s Legal Fight:

Metso faced a legal dispute over three gasification plants in the UK, resulting in a €270m settlement.

Failed Water Infra-Structure Projects/Companies:

Several UK water companies face significant challenges and failures in delivering water infrastructure upgrades and meeting environmental regulations, leading to increased pollution and potential financial difficulties. These failures stem from a combination of factors, including underinvestment, regulatory shortcomings, and financial mismanagement. What the people in charge don’t tell you is that the people in charge lack talent and experience. I witnessed this first hand working on the AMP7.

Intelligent engineers are at the bottom of the food chain and decisions are made by incompetent people higher up in the hierarchy.

I used to work for a Tier 1 contractor in the AMP7 framework. It took them two years to design a simple booster pump station. ALSTOM engineers in Switzerland used to engineer, procure and construct a power station in 2 years. When I started to ask questions, I was let go…

The Nuclear Industry

Several nuclear projects in the UK have either failed or are facing significant challenges. Some projects have been scrapped entirely, while others have encountered major delays and cost overruns. Additionally, there have been notable failures in nuclear weapon testing.

For example: The cost of Sizewell C has reportedly doubled to nearly £40 billion, compared to the initial £20 billion estimate.

Failed UK Car Companies

We all know the story of how buggy and expensive to maintain Range Rovers are, Minis, Jaguars… Not to mention the useless Vauxhall. My advice: buy a Toyota – not a Mercedes, BMW, VW, God forbid a French car or Audi. TOYOTA.

Conclusion

How do we fix this mess? Outsource it to the Germans, Dutch and Swiss. Use Chinese contractors. Promote based on merit not whether a person is from Asia or Eastern Europe or somewhere else outside the UK. And for God’s sake, if you are British, get rid of that sense of entitlement – it’s revolting… You are not that smart.

About The Author

Rami Elias Kremesti is British chartered water and environmental manager with over 20 years of experience in the industry. He has worked in the USA, Middle East, Europe, North Africa and the UK. Author of three books on philosophical topics that few people have read. He has been on a mission to discover The Truth ever since he has a teenager in war torn Lebanon. Rami is a big fan of the poetry of Rumi, loves to cook, spend time in nature and his family and he also plays guitar. He lives in High Wycombe, UK.

Rami Elias Kremesti Portrait