GDF Suez Energy Services has acquired Utilicom Group from IDEX Group.
This investment will, claims GDF Suez, create Cofely District Energy, the UK's largest district energy company.

Cofely District Energy, which will form part of Cofely's existing UK Energy Services business, will generate 35MW of low carbon electricity, operate 245MW of boiler plant, 74MW of chilled capacity and manage 50km of district heating and cooling pipework.

Cofely District Energy will manage a wide range of projects in the UK including:

Southampton District Energy Scheme

Birmingham District Energy Scheme

London Olympic Park and Stratford City

The Whitehall CHP scheme

'District energy schemes are already making a significant contribution to reducing the UK's carbon emissions and this is an area that is set to grow rapidly in the coming years,' commented Wilfrid Petrie, chairman of GDF Suez Energy Services.

'The newly-formed Cofely District Energy will bring together some of the UK's most exciting and prestigious district energy schemes from the COFELY and Utilicom portfolios.

'Cofely District Energy is ideally placed to not only develop the services offered to existing customers but also extend these offerings to a wider customer base.

'It will also pave the way for Cofely's further expansion into this rapidly developing sector of the market where across Europe the group already operates in excess of 110 district energy schemes.'

Cofely operates more than 110 district heating and cooling systems in Europe, including the cities of Amsterdam, Barcelona, Lisbon, Monaco and Paris.