ACCIONA seals €170m PPP deal to build and run Canada’s Fort St. John Hospital

The Company takes its second hospital contract in Canada, a key market for ACCIONA.

ACCIONA Infrastructure has won a 270 million Canadian dollar contract to build and run the Fort St. John Hospital, in British Columbia, Canada. The project includes construction and design, and a 30-year Operation and Maintenance concession. The 55-bed hospital includes a residential annexe for seniors with an additional 123 beds, and covers a total 15,000 square metres. The project has been qualified 'Leed Gold' - certifying the hospital's compliance with sustainability and environmental efficiency criteria as applied to building construction - by the Canadian Green Building Council's Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Green Building Rating System, developed by the U.S. Green Building Council.

The Fort St. John Hospital features a number of special zones, including operating theatres, Emergency Room, diagnostics center and admissions zone with a general services area (basically kitchens and laundry service). The hospital is scheduled to come into service in May 2011. ACCIONA will receive monthly payments that will be subject to deductions according to a set of standards for usage and availability.

On May 31st 2009, the ACCIONA-led consortium ISL Health - also comprising Innisfree Ltd, an investment firm; the health projects consultants Health Care Projects Canada Ltd., and the Stuart Olson/ACCIONA Infrastructure construction - was named preferred proponent for the project. The contract was signed and the financing was closed on July 16th, in record time bearing in mind the current market difficulties. The solid technical and financial reputation of all the participating companies has been a crucial factor in closing this deal.

With the Fort St. John Hospital deal, ACCIONA now has two hospitals in British Columbia, making the ISL Health consortium the province's largest-ever group operator of a PPP (public-private partnership) concession project. In 2008 ACCIONA Infrastructure won a 30-year concession for the Royal Jubilee Hospital, in Victoria, a 35,000 square metre, 500-bed center.

Another recent ACCIONA Infrastructure milestone in Canada came last year when the Quebec Ministry of Transport selected the company for the design, operation and maintenance of the 45km-long A-30 Châteauguay-Vaudreil-Dorion highway, a major road connection between Quebec and Montreal. The concession company - Nouvelle Autoroute 30 - is co-owned (50%-50%) by ACCIONA and Iridium, and construction will be carried out by ACCIONA Infrastructure (42%), Dragados (42%) and DJL (16%). The concession will run for 34 years.

The A-30 highway obtained the Canadian Council for Public-Private Partnerships' Gold Award - one of the sector's highest accolades in Canada - in the National Awards for Innovation & Excellence in Public-Private Partnerships; and was named North America Deal of the Year by PFI, one of the segment's most respected publications, which acknowledged the deal as the year's best financial operation in its sector.

Country Manager

Canada is one of the key countries in ACCIONA's ongoing push for international expansion. Last March, ACCIONA strengthened its presence there by appointing Robert Park as Country Manager. He joined the team led by Frank Gelardin, ACCIONA's Director General International. The Country Manager's responsibilities include client relations and developing business opportunities in ACCIONA's diverse business activities in Canada, in particular in the fields of infrastructure, energy and water services. Robert Park is a Chartered Engineer with thirty years' experience in major infrastructure projects, international joint-ventures, private finance, design and construction, airports, railroads, highways, the petrochemical industry and water treatment services. He joined ACCIONA Infrastructure seven years ago.

ACCIONA is one of Spain's leading business corporations. The Company operates in infrastructure, energy, water and services in more than thirty countries. Its corporate motto, "Pioneers in Sustainable Development", reflects the Company's commitment to contributing to economic growth, social progress and environmental balance. ACCIONA is sector leader in the Dow Jones Sustainability Index, and posted revenues of €12.67 billion in 2008.