Thames Water has announced the three partners it has appointed to its £300M Technical Partner Framework for the delivery of its Strategic Resource Options (SRO) programme.
The three consortia appointed to the framework are:
- Arup / Binnies JV
- AtkinsRéalis / Stantec JV
- Jacobs / Mott MacDonald JV
Thames Water stated that it sought to cooperate with partners who have extensive experience in developing and supporting large complex infrastructure projects in the current UK planning environment.
The utility company anticipates that across its catchment, which includes London and the Thames Valley, would require an extra billion litres of water for its customers in the next 50 years. This framework will support the work required to deliver the major infrastructure that is needed to meet the water scarcity challenges ahead caused by climate change and the growing population.
The proposed SROs to be delivered by these partners form part of the Thames Water draft Water Resource Plan. This includes the construction of a potential new reservoir in Oxfordshire and the contentious new river abstraction on the River Thames, among other interventions.
Thames Water SRO directorate head of procurement and supply chain Mohit Farmah said: “This Framework Agreement marks a significant step forward with our Strategic Resource Options Programme. We will now look to work with our technical partners to drive the development of innovative solutions, which will protect the environment, benefit our customers and secure future water supply to enhance drought resilience.”
Stantec water strategy director Mark Tindale and AtkinsRéalis managing director for infrastructure Mike McNicholas said: “The plan from Thames Water is the largest strategic water resources programme in the country and will secure resilient water supply for millions of customers and stakeholders in the south and southeast of England, for generations to come.
“Over the next decade, the sector’s ability to get water to the right place at the right time, will be a defining issue for the UK’s resilience. Delivering SRO projects efficiently is the most crucial challenge. It requires cross-sector working, meaningful knowledge-sharing, and impact-led collaboration.
“We are looking forward to continuing our relationship with Thames Water on this new framework, where we will demonstrate our breadth of expertise in the sector in terms of delivering on all aspects of major infrastructure projects and working collaboratively to achieve delivery of the programme of SROs.
“We’re delighted that the AtkinsRéalis Stantec Joint Venture has been appointed to this Technical Partner Framework and we are looking forward to blending our unique expertise and resources to support these groundbreaking projects for the customers of Thames Water.”
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