One of the advantages of the merger between engineering, management and technical services group Aurecon and the energy industry focused NETGroup is that it enables the merged entity to pursue the large integrated infrastructure projects that are emerging in South Africa.

Ferdi Nell, integration manager, Aurecon for the NETGroup merger says that the merger will benefit NETGroup clients in that it will enable the enhancement of much broader multidisciplinary technical skills and expertise as well as service delivery capabilities, especially in those industries outside of NETGroup’s energy industry offering.

Mike Sweeney, the group’s energy services leader, Gauteng, says the merger will increase Aurecon’s ability to serve its large corporate and utility clients in the transmission and distribution markets in South Africa’s major centres as well as in sub-Saharan countries, especially regarding the provision of specialist transmission and distribution engineering and utility management consulting.

“The merger will enable Aurecon to pursue the type of large, integrated infrastructure projects that are emerging in South Africa but which are, for the most part, being awarded to international companies.”

Nell adds that there exists a significant need for additional generation capacity, as well as for the strengthening and rehabilitation of transmission and distribution networks in South Africa, as well as Africa. “We intend being bullish about the opportunities now available to Aurecon in the generation, transmission and distribution sectors. These opportunities are not limited to engineering type projects, but include management consulting and advisory services across the spectrum of the electricity utility business value chain.

“It is also exciting to be able to offer our clients multidisciplinary services across 11 industries, as opposed to a single service offering in the energy industry.”

The 11 market sectors across which the group operates are property, resources, water, transport, energy, government, manufacturing, construction, data & telecommunications, defence and international development assistance.

Source: esi-africa.com