Market
Poland is a country that is experiencing strong growth. Substantial EU funding, low wages, a highly qualified workforce and a low tax burden are the reasons for the attractiveness of the Polish market.
Significant events in the year
In 2015, activities on the major existing projects for the construction of highway sections continued. The S3 Nowa Sol and S8 Marki contracts witnessed the end of design activities; the construction permit for the S8 was granted on January 14, 2016, whilst it is being obtained for the S3. In June 2015, the activities for the S7 Checiny project were started and, in the second half of the year, the main strategic subcontractors and service providers were identified.
The contract for the A1-F Tuszyn project was signed in October 2015, followed by design activities, which shall last for approximately 16 months. The following table shows quantitative values for the highway projects in which the Group was engaged at December 31, 2015:
|
Project | Group residual portfolio | Percentage of completion |
|---|---|---|
| A1F Tuszyn-Pyrzowice | 133.6 | 0.4% |
| S7 - Krakow Rabka Zdroj | 117.3 | - |
| S7 Checiny | 105.8 | 6.6% |
| S3 Nowa Sol | 93.5 | 12.8% |
| S8 Marki - Radzymin Lot 1 | 57.7 | 11.0% |
| Total | 507.9 |
Among the projects in the execution phase, on June 15, 2015, the Group won the tender for the construction of the Chęciny-Jędrzejów section of the S-7 two-lane carriageway, continuing the construction of the S7 national expressway. The works are part of the wider modernization project of the S7 Expressway that cuts through Poland from North to South connecting Gdansk to Krakow. The total length of the section is 21.53 km. The percentage of completion as of December 31, 2015 was 6.6%.
A1 Highway
On July 22, 2015, the Salini Impregilo Group was awarded a contract worth €170 million for the design and construction of 20 km of a section of the A1 Motorway south of Warsaw near the town of Katowice. The project is financed in part by EU funds and in part by Polish public funding and shall last 33 months.
2016 outlook
2016 is a milestone year for the main projects under way. Specifically, for the S3 Nowa Sol and S8 Marki projects, completion of engineering works should be followed by the start of the construction phase. A strong increase in production is planned for the S7 Checiny. The outlook for the Group in the country is linked to the participation in 23 pre-qualifications for a total amount of approximately €3 billion for the development of road infrastructure.