Aqualia interested in French market, but not in Saur
Despite a formal denial of local press reports suggesting that it was about to effect a takeover of France’s third-largest private water operator Saur, FCC Aqualia has confirmed that it is interested in breaking into the French municipal water market.
The Spanish company is currently bidding for a 12-year water and wastewater concession in Arles (Provence) currently held by Eaux de Marseille, and has acknowledged that it is studying opportunities in three other southern French municipalities: Béziers, Arcachon and Sète.
M&A consultant Richard Onsés, who knows the French and Spanish markets well, told GWI: “I believe FCC’s denial, because Saur’s structure is unattractive, with lots of small contracts without any geographical coherence.” Acquiring Saur “would cost a lot of money, and there are cheaper ways to get into the French market,” he said.
The question of how long Saur’s creditor banks-turned-shareholders will look to retain their equity positions remains unanswered.
Contact information | n/a |
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News type | Inbrief |
File link |
http://www.globalwaterintel.com/news/2015/22/aqualia-interested-french-market-not-saur.html |
Source of information | Global Water Intelligence |
Subject(s) | ANALYSIS AND TESTS , CHARACTERISTICAL PARAMETERS OF WATERS AND SLUDGES , DRINKING WATER , DRINKING WATER AND SANITATION : COMMON PROCESSES OF PURIFICATION AND TREATMENT , ENERGY , FINANCE-ECONOMY , HEALTH - HYGIENE - PATHOGENIC MICROORGANISM , HYDRAULICS - HYDROLOGY , INDUSTRY , INFRASTRUCTURES , MEASUREMENTS AND INSTRUMENTATION , PREVENTION AND NUISANCES POLLUTION , SANITATION -STRICT PURIFICATION PROCESSES , SLUDGES , WATER QUALITY |
Geographical coverage | France, Spain |
News date | 02/06/2015 |
Working language(s) | ENGLISH |