Engineering firm RCR Tomlinson's subsidiary RCR Energy has enhanced its capabilities in the power and steam generation arena, with the acquisition of clean energy services provider AE&E Australia for an undisclosed sum.
RCR said it now held all the major steam cycle and boiler technologies and licences necessary to deliver the majority of power and steam generation projects in Australia.
AE&E is a subsidiary of Austria's A-Tec, which got into strife last year after losing a major construction contract for CITIC Pacific's Sino Iron project and also was plagued by cost blowouts on its other major project, a power station at BHP Billiton's Worsley Alumina plant.
Its core business involves the design, supply, installation, commissioning and servicing of thermal power generation systems, including combined cycle power plants, steam and power generation plants and heat recovery steam generators.
The acquisition remains subject to a number of conditions which were not disclosed, and includes all of AE&E's fixed assets including plant and equipment, intellectual properties, technologies and key data, but does not include any project liabilities held by AE&E.
RCR also announced it had secured a number of key AE&E Australia employees to ease the transition, including vice president Graham Salter, engineering manager George Gable, chief estimator Ross McKay and vice president finance Ron Salvador.
Chief executive Paul Dalgleish said the company was now uniquely placed as a leading provider of engineering and construction services for power generation projects.
"With the acquisition of AE&E Australia we have significantly broadened the range of energy technologies that the RCR Energy business can offer customers, in both the industrial and utility sectors," Dr Dalgleish said.
"We can now meet the majority of customer power and steam generation project requirements, including heat recover steam generators, a complete range of boiler technologies and we have the know-how for both open and closed cycle gas turbine power plants.
"Part of the acquisition includes AE&E Australia's energy service and maintenance business which will merge into RCR's existing energy service business and out network of service offices across Australia and New Zealand, enabling further growth in this part of the acquired business."
