Engineering success: Renew’s strong start to the year as order book fills up

The Leeds-based group has increasingly been shifting its focus away from construction to the more resilient market of regulated engineering.

Its order book had grown to £340m by the end of December from £289m a year earlier, the company told shareholders at its annual meeting yesterday.

Its engineering services order book had grown by a quarter to £245m from £197m.

Engineering now makes up about two thirds of its revenues and Renew is targeting a 70/30 split by the end of 2014.

Renew said key contracts include being one of three firms to win a four-year framework deal at Sellafield nuclear processing plant in Cumbria, pictured, worth a potential £280m. This has not yet been priced into its order book, and work is due to begin in April.

“It’s a good start to the year, based on three months in,” said chief executive Brian May. “The order book is what we need to have.”

Its Amco subsidiary has won orders worth £29m, including £13m for bridges, tunnels and viaducts. It has also won a second deal with Northumbrian Water for trunk mains cleaning.

Picture: Simon Barber/Guzelian