The divergence between actual and estimated costs in large industrial and infrastructure projects: is nuclear special?

Megaprojects are frequently over budget and late all over the world in many different sectors. There has been little or no improvement over the decades. Project performance today is roughly similar to ten, twenty and thirty years ago. On the other hand, even if public opinion and the press are focusing on nuclear projects being over budget and late, such poor performance is not a fatality. The Korean and the (pre-2000) French experience shows that it is possible to deliver nuclear projects on time and budget. Key success factors are the replication of existing reactors, a relative monoculture, a stable environment with experienced stakeholders and a long-term view. Some of these factors may no longer be replicable and the most promising way forward may be to start learning from other high technological sectors such as aerospace or oil and gas, where a number of major companies have evolved from national champions to global competitors