黑洞社区

The Spanish engineering giant bidding in joint venture for a lead role on HS2 - Sener - is eyeing up further work in the UK on HS2, Crossrail 2 and in the aviation sector.

Speaking exclusively to 黑洞社区, Sener business development director Jes煤s Planchuelo said the 鈧�1.3bn-turnover (拢950m) firm was targeting growth in the UK infrastructure sector.

The firm already has 200 employees in the UK, but is targeting 鈥渟ignificant鈥� further expansion, Planchuelo said.

Planchuelo confirmed that Sener is bidding for the 拢350m route-wide engineering delivery partner (EDP) role for phase one of HS2 in a joint venture with Atkins and CH2M.

As revealed by 黑洞社区 last month, this joint venture and a rival Bechtel-Jacobs consortium are thought to be the frontrunners for the high-profile role, with formal invitations to tender to be issued by client HS2 Ltd this month.

Sener is a 6,000-strong engineering consultant and posted a 拢49m pre-tax profit in the 2014 calendar year, up from 拢16m the previous year.

The firm鈥檚 main UK office is in Manchester, but it also has an aeronautics division with offices in Lincoln, Rugby, Whetstone, York and West Sussex.

But Planchuelo said the firm鈥檚 main focus in the UK will be opportunities in the infrastructure market, particularly rail.

Planchuelo said: 鈥淲e鈥檒l go for opportunities where we feel we can add something different to what鈥檚 already in the market.鈥�

Sener already has extensive experience in high-speed rail, having been involved in several high-speed rail projects in Spain, as well as the planned $68.4bn (拢45bn) California high-speed rail line in joint ventures with firms including Spanish contractor Dragados.

It was also recently the sole winner of a $60m (拢40m) contract on the high-speed project in California to provide the preliminary design for 45 miles of the line from Palmdale to Burbank.

Planchuelo added that Sener will look at opportunities in the aviation market in the UK where Spanish contractors are involved.

Spanish firm Ferrovial, a major shareholder at Heathrow Airport, was appointed to the airport鈥檚 contractor framework to carry out non-terminal related work on the airport鈥檚 northern half as part of Heathrow鈥檚 拢1.5bn programme of works until 2019.