EDF Energy becomes PFI partner to UK county council

EDF Energy, the UK arm of French energy incumbent Electricite de France, has been chosen to take charge of lighting Dorset's highways for the next 25 years.

Dorset County Council has selected EDF Energy as the preferred bidder for its multi-million pound private finance initiative (PFI) to renew and upgrade street lighting across the county. The final business case is currently being prepared for submission to the Department for Transport, which will be co-funding the project with the county council. Council cabinet members will be asked to give the go-ahead for the project when they meet in July. It is intended that EDF Energy will assume responsibility for the management, design, installation and ongoing repair and maintenance of Dorset's entire street lighting stock - covering around 40,000 columns and other pieces of equipment. More than 19,000 of the county council's lamp columns are older than their design life, a figure rising all the time. The new contract involves a massive replacement and renewal program together with ongoing operational and maintenance work and has a total value in excess of GBP100 million over 25 years (excluding energy costs). The bulk of the replacement work will be carried out in the first five years of the contract. Miriam Maes, chief operating officer of EDF Energy's development branch, said: We are delighted to be Dorset County Council's chosen partner. This project will enable us to build on our position as the leading utility in the PFI and PPP market and to enhance our position as one of the premier street lighting service providers in the UK.