LONDON - Metrix UK, the consortium that will deliver the
construction, site and training services for the UK's Defence Technical
Academy (DTA), announced Feb. 10 that facilities management provider
Sodexo will take a 50 percent share alongside QinetiQ.
Previously
a nonequity member of the Metrix consortium, Sodexo runs 17 military
and civil private finance initiative (PFI) projects in the UK.
DTA is a major component of the 30-year, 12-billion-pound
($17.5 billion) Defence Training Rationalisation program (DTR),
Britain's largest PFI.
DTA's 1-billion-pound effort to build
specialized technical and vocational training facilities to all three
armed services at St. Athan in south Wales is expected to commence in
late 2010 and open for business in early 2014.
Sodexo has picked
up the 50 percent share dropped by Land Securities Trillium, which
decided to leave the consortium last year in a decision related to the
company's sale.
A Metrix spokesman said the disappearance of a
large equity participant did not indicate problems with or
vulnerabilities in the DTR program. He said Sodexo's acquisition of the
stake showed confidence in the program, particularly at a time of
uncertainty regarding investments, potential effects of recession, etc.
As
conceived, the DTR program included two work packages worth about 15
billion pounds. Metrix was early on named as the preferred bidder for
Package 1, which covers aeronautical and mechanical engineering,
communications and information systems.
But as it became clear
that Package 2 - logistics, police, intelligence, photography, language
and administrative skills - would be more difficult to manage, MoD
officials rescinded Metrix's position as "potential preferred bidder."
The MoD's Defence Equipment & Supply has a team looking at the
plans for Package 2; no date has been given for a report.
Metrix
is entirely focused on Package 1, but hopes in the future to work to
develop some or all of the work involved in Package 2, the company
spokesman said.
