PurposeThis study aims to analyze the difficulties observed in the management of three hydroelectric turbine projects developed by a large multinational company in the metal-mechanic segment, identifying those most critical.Design/methodology/approachThrough a bibliographic search, difficulties throughout project management were identified. These difficulties were used as a research protocol to carry out three case studies in a hydroelectric turbine manufacturer. The projects selection aimed to contemplate different characteristics to encompass the diversity of their typologies. Data were analyzed through content analysis technique and the difficulties were ordered via Grey Relational Analysis (GRA).FindingsQualitative data analysis provided specific insights regarding the characteristics of each project. When analyzing the difficulties of hydroelectric turbine projects management via GRA, it is observed that those difficulties most evidenced were related to integration and communication, suppliers management and objectives definition.Originality/valueThe main contribution of this research lies in the sector under analysis. The literature about hydroelectric turbine projects is scarce. In addition, no similar studies were found in the literature.