Introduction

Making sure that government, businesses and households have secure supplies of energy is a huge commitment. Engineers working for the energy supply companies must make sure that this commitment is met 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. This case study shows how the engineers who work for one of the UK's major energy businesses, RWE npower, are involved in securing energy supplies and in the management of risk.

Risk lies at the core of any enterprise activity. Businesses therefore have to manage risks every day of the week, for 52 weeks in the year. Successful management of risk involves getting the balance right between risk and other factors such as cost and return.

Engineers deal with real problems involving real materials and projects. The work of an engineer is varied and stimulating. 

Engineering is an exciting career. For example, graduate engineers working at a power station will not only work with computer models, but also will help to run projects, control the materials, equipment and plant. This is engineering on a grand scale. 

Engineers working for RWE npower are trained at all levels to combine technical skills with commercial knowledge. To be successful they need to understand the business implications of the decisions they make.