STRABAG’s Haweswater Aqueduct Resilience Programme wins Project Finance International Award as Europe Infrastructure Deal of the Year

HARP – the largest project in STRABAG’s history – was awarded Europe Infrastructure Deal of the Year 2025.

(IN BRIEF) STRABAG has received the Project Finance International Award from the London Stock Exchange Group for the Haweswater Aqueduct Resilience Programme, which was named Europe Infrastructure Deal of the Year 2025. The project, valued at approximately £3 billion, is being delivered by the Cascade Infrastructure consortium formed by STRABAG, GLIL Infrastructure, and Equitix, with STRABAG UK acting as general contractor. The programme will modernise a 110-kilometre water pipeline system in north-west England, replacing six tunnel sections with a combined length of around 50 kilometres to secure drinking water supply for about 2.5 million people. The contract includes financing, planning, construction, and 25 years of maintenance. The project supports the United Kingdom’s broader plan to invest £104 billion in water infrastructure improvements between 2025 and 2030, aimed at upgrading aging networks and strengthening long-term water security.

(PRESS RELEASE) VIENNA, 10-Mar-2026 — /EuropaWire/ — STRABAG has announced that the Haweswater Aqueduct Resilience Programme (HARP), the largest project in the company’s history, has received the Project Finance International Award from the London Stock Exchange Group. The project was recognised as the Europe Infrastructure Deal of the Year 2025, highlighting its scale and significance within the international infrastructure sector.

The HARP project is being delivered by Cascade Infrastructure, a consortium formed by STRABAG, GLIL Infrastructure, and Equitix, with STRABAG UK serving as the general contractor responsible for construction. The initiative represents one of the most significant water infrastructure investments currently underway in the United Kingdom.

The Project Finance International Awards are widely regarded as one of the most important global recognitions in the field of infrastructure financing. Each year, the awards honour major project finance transactions and the organisations involved in delivering large-scale infrastructure projects worldwide.

The Haweswater Aqueduct Resilience Programme involves the modernisation of a major water pipeline system in north-west England. In August 2025, United Utilities awarded the consortium a contract valued at approximately £3 billion, equivalent to about €3.5 billion, to carry out the programme.

The existing aqueduct system was constructed between 1933 and 1955 and plays a crucial role in supplying drinking water across the region. As part of the project, six tunnel sections with a combined length of around 50 kilometres will be replaced within a broader pipeline network stretching approximately 110 kilometres. The upgrades are intended to ensure a secure and reliable water supply for around 2.5 million residents in Cumbria, Lancashire, and Greater Manchester.

The project includes financing, planning, construction, and long-term maintenance responsibilities spanning 25 years. STRABAG will carry out more than 70 percent of the construction work directly, reflecting the company’s strategy of maintaining a high level of in-house delivery for complex infrastructure projects.

The initiative aligns with STRABAG’s Group Strategy 2030, which places greater emphasis on expanding its involvement in water infrastructure projects. The company is also continuing to grow its presence in the United Kingdom and to expand its portfolio of infrastructure delivery models, including public-private partnerships, Direct Procurement for Customers (DPC) structures, and concession-based projects.

The HARP programme forms part of a broader effort to modernise the United Kingdom’s water infrastructure. The country is planning a major wave of investment in the sector, with approximately £104 billion in private funding expected to be allocated between 2025 and 2030 to upgrade aging pipelines, reduce sewage discharges, and strengthen long-term water security.

Siegfried Wanker, Member of the Management Board of STRABAG SE responsible for the International and Special Divisions segment, said the award recognises both the significance of the project and the company’s strategic focus on water infrastructure development. He noted that the recognition highlights STRABAG’s experience in planning and delivering complex infrastructure projects that provide essential services to communities.

About the Haweswater Aqueduct Resilience Programme (HARP)

HARP is one of the largest water infrastructure projects in the United Kingdom. In August 2025, United Utilities (UU) commissioned the STRABAG–GLIL Infrastructure–Equitix consortium to deliver the £ 3 billion (approx. € 3.5 billion) project. The contract involves the modernisation of a 110‑kilometre water pipeline system in north‑west England, originally built between 1933 and 1955. Six tunnel sections, with a combined length of around 50 kilometres, will be replaced, securing the long‑term drinking water supply for 2.5 million people in Cumbria, Lancashire and Greater Manchester.

The scope of the contract includes financing, planning, construction and 25 years of maintenance. STRABAG will self-deliver over 70% of the construction work, ensuring a high level of in‑house value creation. In line with its Group Strategy 2030, the company is increasingly focusing on water infrastructure while further expanding both its presence in the United Kingdom and its portfolio of PPP, DPC and concession models.

The United Kingdom is currently undertaking a major overhaul of its water infrastructure, with a record £104 billion1 in private sector investment planned between 2025 and 2030 to address aging pipes, reduce sewage spills and improve long‑term water security.

We are honoured to play a key role in the HARP project, which was selected as European Infrastructure Deal of the Year. This recognition not only highlights the project itself but also our strategic focus on water infrastructure. It underscores our long-standing expertise in planning and delivering complex, high-impact infrastructure solutions that provide essential services to communities.

Siegfried Wanker
Member of the Management Board of STRABAG SE responsible for the International + Special Divisions segment

1 Source: GOV.UK (19 January 2026): “Government unveils biggest overhaul to water in a generation” 

STRABAG SE is a European-based technology group for construction services, a leader in innovation and financial strength. Our activities span all areas of the construction industry and cover the entire construction value chain. We create added value for our clients by taking an end-to-end view of construction over the entire life cycle – from planning and design to construction, operation and facility management to redevelopment or demolition. In all of our work, we accept responsibility for people and the environment: We are shaping the future of construction and are making significant investments in our portfolio of more than 250 innovation and 400 sustainability projects. Through the hard work and dedication of our approximately 89,000 employees, we generate an annual output volume of around € 20 billion.
Our dense network of subsidiaries in various European countries and on other continents extends our area of operation far beyond the borders of Austria and Germany. Working together with strong partners, we are pursuing a clear goal: to design, build and operate construction projects in a way that protects the climate and conserves resources. More information is available at www.strabag.com.

Media Contact:

Marco Reiter
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+43 1 22422 1089
marco.reiter@strabag.com

SOURCE: STRABAG