  We analyze the possibility to rewrite the action of Horava-Witten theory in a
BPS-like form, which means that it is given as a sum of squares of the
supersymmetry conditions. To this end we compactify the theory on a seven
dimensional manifold of SU(3) structure and rewrite the scalar curvature of the
compactification manifold in terms of the SU(3) structure forms. This shows
that a BPS-like form cannot be obtained in general, but only for certain types
of compactifications.
