The Utility Services business of construction, infrastructure and design company Morgan Sindall, has contributed to half year results released today for the six months to 30 June 2015, by parent company Morgan Sindall Group plc, the construction and regeneration group.

In the water sector, where Morgan Sindall is a Tier 1 firm which belongs to a number of AMP6 alliances, the division is continuing its work to upgrade and enhance the UK’s water networks with its reappointment to two key frameworks, Welsh Water and Yorkshire Water, for the next Asset Management Period 2015 – 2020. Projects include clean water and waste water projects ranging in value from around £100,000 to £35 million. A Yorkshire Water project due for completion shortly is the circa £14.6 million project to upgrade Castleford Waste Water Treatment Works. Upcoming work includes  Morgan Sindall’s role in the BMB jv with BAM Nuttall Ltd and Balfour Beatty Group Limited to work on the West contract for the £4.2 billion Thames Tideway Tunnel construction project.

Against what Morgan Sindall described as "a continued backdrop of challenging market conditions", operating profit before amortisation and exceptional operating items was £15.5 million (2014: £15.2 million) on revenue of £1,152 million, a 15% increase over the same period last year (2014: £998 million). The Group reports an order book of £2.6 billion, down slightly (3%) on the previous year (2014: £2.7 billion), supported by a £3.2 billion pipeline of regeneration schemes (2014: £3.2 billion). Adjusted earnings per share for the period was 24.5p (2014: 28.6p).

The Utility Services business also includes work in the UK nuclear and electricity sectors.Through its joint venture Infrastructure Strategic Alliance (ISA) contract at Sellafield, which has a potential value of £1.1 billion over a possible maximum duration of 15 years to 2027, the contract continues to demonstrate progress through the year-on-year expansion of a growing portfolio of projects. In the 2014/15 financial year, the ISA delivered £49.4 million of work, and continues to deliver projects such as substations, boiler parks, and water pipelines, along with supporting emergent work and mapping the master planning of infrastructure assets across site.

Nick Fletcher, managing director of Morgan Sindall’s Infrastructure division, commented:

“Morgan Sindall has continued to secure and deliver strategically important contracts across our business throughout 2015, whilst our commitment to working safely and sustainably, providing exceptional service to our stakeholders and ensuring effective cost management, has remained paramount. This achievement is testament to the professionalism of our people, our ability to provide a fully integrated offering on complex projects and the strength of relationships we have with our customers, supply chain and joint venture partners. We remain well positioned to capitalise on further opportunities throughout the remainder of the year.”