Yorkshire Water has announced that EQT has agreed to acquire a 42% stake in Kelda Holdings Limited, the parent company of Yorkshire Water, in a move that signals confidence in the water company’s plans for the future.
EQT is a purpose-driven global investor with deep experience in managing long-term strategic assets and a strong track record of managing critical infrastructure. With a Nordic heritage and a global mindset, EQT has a strong presence in the UK having invested over £10 billion of equity in UK-headquartered businesses across its Private Capital and Infrastructure strategies.
Its investment model is built on multi-year ownership and operational improvement, directly in line with the strategy and plan for Yorkshire Water.
EQT is committed to investing further equity to strengthen the Company’s balance sheet, including contributing to the approximate £600 million intercompany loan repayment that is due before March 2027. EQT is also fully supportive of the plan to deliver the Company’s largest ever environmental investment program, with a total of £8.3 billion dedicated to improving services and upgrading infrastructure throughout the region between 2025 and 2030. This investment program will continue to drive a step change in environmental protection, infrastructure resilience and service quality across the region, further supported by the hiring of over 1,000 new employees locally.
Following the completion of the transaction and a simplification of the capital structure, existing shareholders GIC, a leading global investor, and TCorp, the investment and financial management partner of the New South Wales (NSW) public sector in Australia will hold 42% and 16% of the company respectively. The change of ownership is expected to be completed by the end of June 2026.
The acquisition is conditional upon approvals, including anti-trust.
Nicola Shaw, Chief Executive of Yorkshire Water and Kelda Holdings Limited commented:
“This is a great step forward for Yorkshire Water. The EQT team will bring additional expertise to our Board, and their backing is a strong vote of confidence in our plan to improve performance and the progress we have made so far. EQT has a long-term perspective and their team is committed to supporting the delivery of our £8.3bn investment programme. Their support, together with GIC and TCorp, will enable us to continue to execute our strategy, maintain focus on operational performance, and deliver the investment needed to improve outcomes for customers and the environment across Yorkshire.”
Kunal Koya, Partner at EQT Infrastructure said:
“Our strong track record as a long-term active owner of large infrastructure assets makes EQT a natural partner for Yorkshire Water. We believe that as a responsible private capital manager, EQT can play an important role in modernizing the UK’s water infrastructure, and the Company’s multi-year investment plan reflects that objective. Together with Yorkshire Water’s existing investors, we will support the sector’s reform agenda and deliver service improvements for customers across the region and transparency for all stakeholders.”
Sulzer has launched a new global Center of Excellence (CoE) for Water Treatment Solutions - the CoE consolidates Sulzer’s wastewater treatment expertise in a unified and global manner.
“SAS (Surplus Activated Sludge) is a bit weird and 
Owen Mace has taken over as Director of the British Plastics Federation (BPF) Plastic Pipes Group on the retirement of Caroline Ayres. He was previously Standards and Technical Manager for the group.
PureTec Separations, the Ledbury-based water treatment engineering firm, has appointed Dan Norman as its new Sales Manager – Water Process Systems, supporting the company’s continued growth in the UK and international markets.
Hear how Scottish Water has completed its £235 million Ayrshire Glasgow Resilience Project - customers across Greater Glasgow, Ayrshire and East Renfrewshire will now benefit from a more secure and resilient water supply.
Hear how United Utilities is accelerating its investment to reduce spills from storm overflows across the Northwest.
Find out more about the remarkable career opportunities on offer at WSP - scroll down to watch the inspirational video.