Ancala continues on the acquisition trail to bag Kelda's huge MoD contract

Infrastructure investment manager, Ancala Partners has acquired a huge Ministry of Defence Private Finance Initiative (PFI) contract for water and wastewater services held by Yorkshire Water parent Kelda Group.

Aquatrine Package A is one of the largest water and waste water PFI contracts in Europe. Aquatrine provides water, wastewater, fire system maintenance and specialist estate management services to the MOD and customers in the MOD Estate, across more than 1,100 sites in Wales, South West England and parts of the Midlands and South East England.

The sale is part of a Kelda Group plan to dispose of its non-regulated operations.

Assets under the contract include boreholes, reservoirs, surface water pumping stations, sewage pumping stations, treatment works, distribution mains, oil and water interceptors, sewers and meters. Under the deal AWS will assume responsibility for all the staff providing strategic, customer and back office support.

The Aquatrine business will be rebranded as Ancala Water Services (AWS) with immediate effect.

Ancala said it will support the existing management team led by David Godfrey and the workforce to continue to provide service to the MOD with “improved customer service delivery.” Ancala said it was “committed to providing value for money services, security of supply and environmental sustainability.”

Industry Partner at Ancala Partners David Owens, and a former Chief Executive Officer at Thames Water, will join the AWS board as chairman. He said “We look forward to building on this strong delivery platform to further improve customer service and value for money for the MOD.”

Ancala recently acquired Portsmouth Water.