SuperStop Consortium: Servicing Ireland’s Motorways
More than two years after advertising the tender, the National Roads Authority has chosen an operator for the first of three long awaited motorway service stations across Ireland, making refuelling, rest or refreshments more accessible during times of travel.
The SuperStop Consortium has been awarded the Public Private Partnership contract to design, build, finance, maintain and operate the three Motorway Service Areas across Ireland. Each of the service areas will provide facilities on either side of the motorway at each location - on the M1 motorway linking Dublin and Belfast at Castlebellingham, Co. Louth and Lusk, Co Dublin and on the M4 linking the capital to the west of Ireland at Enfield, Co. Kildare.
The 24 hour service areas will each incorporate separate fuelling areas for cars and HGVs, a restaurant and deli, a shop, customer services, significant parking facilities, child play areas and picnic areas. These areas will increase the attractiveness of the motorway network and will provide drivers and passengers with an opportunity to stop, in particular on long journeys, without leaving the motorway network as there will be easy access to the facilities. The consortium behind the contract is 100% Irish owned and it is estimated that 500 jobs will be created during construction phase which begins this month and that around 250 full and part time jobs will be created when the six new service areas open. Arthur Cox are the legal advisors for the project, while Bank of Ireland is the sole provider of the of €70m project finance.
Donal Murphy, Director, Global Project Finance, Bank of Ireland said: “Bank of Ireland is pleased to confirm our role as provider of the debt facilities for this exciting project. We look forward to continuing to work with SuperStop during the construction and operation of the Service Areas. This Motorway Service Areas Public Private Partnership is another very positive development for the PPP market in Ireland and we remain fully committed to supporting current and future Irish infrastructure projects being promoted by Government Departments and State Agencies”.
Superstop won the race for the NRA contract ahead of four other groups. These included Irish-owned Topaz, west of Ireland fuel operator John Sweeney, and Welcome Break Holdings, which runs motorway services stations in Britain.
Background on members of the SuperStop consortium
Applegreen is a private Irish company and is Ireland’s largest independent forecourt retailer with 53 sites trading in the Republic of Ireland and an expanding network in the UK. It has grown rapidly since establishing the Applegreen brand in 2004. www.applegreen.ie
TOP Oil is an Irish family-owned fuel importation and distribution business, which has been trading for over fifty years. It comprises 120 dealer stations, 21 nationwide company-owned depots, 25 authorised distributors, and 85 fuel card locations. TOP Oil recently completed the acquisition of Sweeney Oil in August 2009. This acquisition added circa200 million litres, 100 staff and 9 depots to TOP. www.top.ie
Pierse Contracting is a private Irish company established in 1978 as building, civil, engineering and marine contractors. In recent years Pierse have been involved in substantial design and build PPP projects. The company is a leading force in the Irish construction industry and is amongst the largest and most successful contracting companies in Ireland. www.pierse.ie |
