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Consortium of STRABAG and Equitix is preferred bidder for United Utilities' water project in the UK

03 Jan 2025
The major HARP project aims to secure the drinking water supply in Cumbria, Lancashire and Greater Manchester in the north-west of England for future generations. United Utilities, United Kingdom
United Utilities, United Kingdom

London/Vienna, 3.1.2025
The STRABAG-Equitix consortium today announces that it has been selected by United Utilities (UU) as preferred bidder for the Haweswater Aqueduct Resilience Program (HARP). The main focus is now on achieving the contract award planned for the first half of 2025. The major project aims to secure the drinking water supply in Cumbria, Lancashire and Greater Manchester in the north-west of England for future generations. The Haweswater Aqueduct is a 110 km long pipeline that runs from the Lake District through Lancashire to Greater Manchester. Originally constructed in the 1950s, the pipeline requires a major upgrade, with the existing tunnel sections being replaced to ensure a long-term supply to customers.
STRABAG and Equitix are joint partners in the tender process to select a Competitively Appointed Provider (CAP). This project company is responsible for the concession contract with the client United Utilities, which provides water and wastewater services in the North West of England.

  • We are delighted to have been appointed preferred bidder for such an important regional project in the North West of England and look forward to working with United Utilities. This is an exciting venture that will bring huge benefits to the region. In recent years STRABAG UK has achieved several impressive milestones on major projects and has seen steady growth. This is an important step in our expansion plans for STRABAG's UK subsidiary and further recognition of our industry-leading expertise.

    Klemens Haselsteiner
    STRABAG CEO

  • Equitix, together with our consortium partner STRABAG, is delighted to have been selected as preferred bidder to deliver this strategically important project for United Utilities and Ofwat. Our strong track record in delivering greenfield projects combined with our partnership approach will lead to the successful delivery of this significant project which will benefit communities in the North West of England for generations to come.

    Hugh Crossley
    Equitix CEO

Further information

In its PR19 price review, the UK regulator Ofwat developed the DPC (Direct Procurement for Customers) approach, building on the success of the Thames Tideway Tunnel. This direct procurement approach involves the competitive tendering of services for the implementation of certain major infrastructure projects by a water or wastewater company. The aim is to award the contract to an external, competitively selected provider (CAP) to design, build, finance and in some cases operate and/or maintain the infrastructure in question. DPC results in water utilities competitively awarding more aspects of an infrastructure project, including the financing of the project.

STRABAG UK Ltd offers a comprehensive range of construction services, from the design and construction of tunneling and civil engineering projects to building construction. We create value for our customers in the transport infrastructure, energy, light industrial and water sectors by integrating a wide range of specialist skills and services to help deliver complex infrastructure and civil engineering projects. We have been operating in the UK market since 2011 and employ over 1,500 people involved in several projects in the UK, including the Coire Glass exploratory tunnel near Fort William (for SSE Renewables), the Woodsmith project in North Yorkshire (on behalf of Anglo American), the London HS2 tunnels (Skanska Costain STRABAG JV) and a state of the art manufacturing facility in Hartlepool. In 2023, STRABAG UK established a new unit based in Solihull to lead the construction of light industrial and logistics centers, data centers, advanced manufacturing facilities and commercial building projects.

Equitix is a responsible investor, developer and manager of core infrastructure assets and critical services that contribute significantly to the quality of life of the communities they serve. founded in 2007, Equitix has over £11 billion of assets under management, invested in 350 assets across 22 countries. Equitix supports green transformation with social and environmental objectives, embedded in a diverse portfolio of socially relevant projects that strengthen regional, national and international connections and create a sustainable legacy for generations to come. www. equitix.com